


Don't change for me

by Minitsuri



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Canon Compliant, Haikyuu!! Manga Spoilers, Hinata Shouyou is Sunshine, M/M, Oblivious Hinata Shouyou, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Other Ships Not Mentioned in Tags, Pining, Post-Time Skip, Pro Volleyball Player Bokuto Koutarou, Pro Volleyball Player Hinata Shouyou, Pro Volleyball Player Miya Atsumu, Pro Volleyball Player Sakusa Kiyoomi, Protective Hinata Shouyou, Rating May Change, Slow Build
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-30
Updated: 2020-07-06
Packaged: 2021-03-01 03:41:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 24,975
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23398645
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Minitsuri/pseuds/Minitsuri
Summary: Miya Atsumu is a man who always has a smug grin on his lips and a sassy remark on his tongue. But this is about to change pretty fast when his team recruits a new member.Hinata Shoyo just came back from Brazil and is excited to start another chapter of his life. While getting to know his new team mates better, he is afraid that the one thing he wants to stay the same is about to change.
Relationships: Hinata Shouyou/Miya Atsumu
Comments: 65
Kudos: 327





	1. One

**Author's Note:**

> English isn't my native language so if you see something that's wrong, don't hesitate to mention it in the comments.  
> I hope you can still enjoy reading my first fanfiction as much as i enjoy writing it :)

On a cloudy Saturday afternoon Atsumu was running late but he didn’t care very much. It wasn’t like he was actually needed anyway. He just wanted to watch the tryouts for new Black Jackal members because he was curious and finally had the permission of his doctor to enter the gym again, even if he wasn’t allowed to play at the moment. He had sprained his ankle a while ago and it wasn’t fully healed yet.

But since he was tired of staying home most of the time, he at least wanted to watch the potential newbies of his team. Partly because it was possible that some of them would make a total fool of themselves and partly because maybe there would be an interesting new spiker that he would like to toss to. He wasn’t very hopeful about that though. He already had Bokuto and Sakusa as teammates who were real monsters when it came to spikes, not to forget the older team members who were really skilled players as well. So the chances were low that someone even more interesting than them would appear for the tryouts.

He entered the gym and instantly heard the familiar sound of squeaking volleyball shoes on the floor while he leisurely made his way to the stands to watch the others play. When he climbed the stairs, he could already hear Bokutos loud voice yelling “Hey hey hey!”, which wasn’t unusual. What _was_ unusual however, was the voice answering him just as enthusiastic. It sounded familiar somehow, but Atsumu couldn’t place it, even less remember a face to it. So he just shrugged it off while he entered the stands and walked towards the railing to have a good view over the court.

The setter wasn’t the only player watching from the stands instead of standing on the court. They weren’t obligated to play in the tryouts even though it was good to see how the new players worked with the old ones. Atsumu took a seat next to Sakusa who had his hands shoved deep into the pockets of his jacket and the usual mask on his face while looking like he was about to doze off. If Atsumu didn’t know any better, he would have asked Sakusa why he was even there. But he knew that even though the spiker looked like he was in desperate need of some coffee, that was just his face while he was watching and analyzing everything around him closely.

Suddenly there was a very loud shout coming from the court which made Atsumu look down at the players for the first time that day. Surprisingly, the shout wasn’t coming from Bokuto but from the one whose voice Atsumu had recognized earlier. His view followed the source of the noise and he spotted a mop of bright orange hair. His feeling, that he should know this person, increased but he still wasn’t able to put a name to it. Not even a face, since the redhead still had his back turned to him. But then, he turned around and jumped to give Bokuto a high five with the brightest smile on his face. Atsumu wanted to close his eyes because that smile was way too blinding, but they didn’t obey him and went wide as saucers instead, when he finally recognized the boy. Or rather man, because he definitely grew up since the last time Atsumu had seen him. Karasunos former #10 was jumping around on the court below, talking animatedly to Bokuto.

Atsumu was speechless. He hadn’t thought about Hinata Shoyo in years. But now that he was in front of him, jumping as high and energetic as ever, he remembered the promise he had made at the Spring tournament in his second year of high school. Atsumu would toss to Hinata someday. And even though they had played against each other again in Atsumus third year, he had already forgotten about the promise. After all, he wasn’t known as a habitual liar, who talked a lot, for no reason. But now that he remembered, it seemed like “someday” had finally arrived. Atsumu couldn’t wait to get his hands on a volleyball and toss it to the not-so-little-anymore bundle of energy.

Just as he wanted to make a step to leave the stands and get on the court, he heard a slightly muffled “No, you won’t” from his right side. When he turned his head, he saw Sakusa looking at him disapprovingly.

“I won’t what?” Atsumu asked him innocently, even though he knew exactly what the other meant with his words.

“You won’t toss to him. At least not today. And maybe not even soon if he doesn’t make it into the team.” Came Sakusas answer immediately.

Atsumu tried to look confused (and failed miserably) while saying “Who are you talking about? I don’t know any of the newbies.”

Sakusa gave him a meaningful look which made it clear that Atsumu wasn’t fooling anyone and said “Oh, cut the crap, we both know who I’m talking about. Little sunshine boy who is bonding with Bokuto down there. You should be careful, they seem pretty close. Considering the fact that your look towards him totally radiated _Koi No Yokan_ *.”

“What? No way! I did not look like that! I just remembered who he is and that I told him I would toss to him someday. That’s all. None of that _Koi No Yokan_ stuff. I’m not the protagonist of a shoujo manga after all.” Atsumu told him defensively.

Sakusa just said “If you say so.” and turned his view towards the court again. Atsumu was nearly sure to see Sakusas eyes crinkle a little bit in the hint of a smirk, but of course he couldn’t confirm it because of the face mask the other was wearing. So he simply followed his example and also turned his view to take a look at the other players who wanted to join the Black Jackals. None of them seemed familiar and Atsumu soon found himself more and more distracted by the orange blotch of color moving with incredible speed across the court. Hinatas jumps were even more amazing than they had been in high school. He definitely used the last years to train his skills. A lot, when the last 10 minutes Atsumu had watched him were anything to go by. He was totally absorbed in the movements of the small man. So absorbed that he didn’t even notice the obviously amused looks Sakusa sent him out of the corner of his eyes.

As talented as Hinata was, it was undeniable that the other players were very skilled as well, so Atsumu cheered in his head for Hinata. He really wanted the redhead to make it into the team so he could fulfil his promise and toss to him. And that was the only reason, of course. It had absolutely nothing to do with that victorious smile splitting Hinatas face when he managed an especially powerful spike. He screamed “Go Hinata go” all over in his head until the object of his silent cheers failed to hit the ball and spun around with utter shock and disbelief in his eyes.

Atsumu was confused. ‘Why did Hinata turn around? And why was he looking directly at him?’ As he tried to search for an answer, he turned his head to look at Sakusa, who was already watching him. This made Atsumu realize that maybe, his cheers weren’t as silent as he thought they were. Now with a shocked expression on his own face, he looked back at Hinata.

And once again he saw that incredibly bright smile on Hinatas face, but this time it was directed at him, followed by a surprised “Miya-san!” coming from the redhead down on the court.

In this moment, Atsumus brain went completely blank. His eyes were only able to focus on the happy face of Hinata Shoyo, who was still smiling in his direction. The first thought that managed its way into the setters’ head was that he was absolutely fucked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Koi No Yokan = Japanese phrase that describes the feeling you have upon first meeting someone that you will inevitably fall in love with them (I hope I used it right)  
> This chapter is pretty short since it's just the prologue. The next ones are going to be longer.  
> I'm open for constructive criticism or suggestions in the comments :)


	2. Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tryouts continue, which is fine but how is Atsumu supposed to interact with Hinata once there isn't an entire gym between them?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a quick comment: I know that Hinatas given name is written "Shōyō" or "Shouyou" in Romanji but I'm lazy, so I'm just going to write Shoyo :D

In this moment, Atsumus brain went completely blank. His eyes were only able to focus on the happy face of Hinata Shoyo, who was still smiling in his direction. The first thought that managed its way into the setters’ head was that he was absolutely fucked.

His second thought was only to realize that Hinata wasn’t smiling at him anymore but had already turned around again to continue playing. This could only mean that the redhead wasn’t nearly as affected by seeing the other as Atsumu was. When the setter realized how he must look like right now, his expression turned pissed off for a few seconds before he forced it into his usual lazy smile. If he continued to look like his lost puppy had just returned to him, he would have to endure annoying comments from Sakusa for at least a week, not to mention that Bokuto wouldn’t let him hear the end of it. When he directed his grin at Sakusa however, he realized that his efforts were worthless because even behind the face mask, his expression looked way too smug for Atsumus liking. So he just banned all emotions from his face and turned towards the court once again to watch the rest of the tryouts.

The next few hours passed in a blur while Atsumu tried not to focus on Hinata too much. He should watch all the participating players equally to be able to give an opinion on who should join the team. That was the reason he was there, after all. But he couldn’t deny that his eyes were drawn to the little spiker more often than not. Hinatas abilities had increased a lot since high school. His jumps were even higher, his receives rivaled those of a libero and he was also able to set rather decently. Even if Atsumu hadn’t known Hinata before, he would have noticed him as one of the most skillful players who came to the tryouts.

When the tryouts ended, Atsumu stood up to leave the stands. There was supposed to be a meeting afterwards to decide which of the players would be a good addition to their team. He really hoped that Hinata would be the one, so Atsumu could fulfil his promise as soon as his injury was healed.

While the other players entered the locker rooms to take a shower first, Atsumu went straight to the conference room where they would be holding the meeting. By doing so, he hoped to gain some time to collect himself and to think about reasonable arguments why Hinata should be the one to join the Black Jackals besides “he’s awesome” but he just couldn’t form the right sentences in his mind. While he continued to think about it, the coaches and some of the players entered the room one after another, but Atsumu didn’t notice them at all because he was so deep in thought.

Ten minutes later it was clear that the recent gymnastics in his mind had been completely unnecessary. He realized this when a freshly showered Bokuto barged into the room saying “I think we already know who’s going to start practicing with us on Monday, so who’s ready to go to the bar? Shoyo, I mean Hinata, already agreed to join us, too.”

At first, everyone in the room looked at Bokuto completely stunned, but then more and more heads began to nod in agreement, joined by approving mumbles. Atsumus mind was doing backflips while he had to restrain himself from clashing his forehead into his hand. Of fucking course, he wouldn’t be the only one to acknowledge how awesome Hinata is. Not just as a person but as a player, too.

When Atsumu looked around the room again, he noticed that everyone was already beginning to leave, because all of them seemed to share Bokutos opinion on having Hinata as a teammate and on heading to a bar to celebrate, since they had the next day off.

Only the coaches wanted to stay behind to have a little discussion. They agreed that Hinata was outstanding as a player and would fit greatly into the team but since the other participants had played well, too, they should at least consider everyone equally instead of deciding on such short notice. They also knew that they wouldn’t be able to hold a proper discussion with the whole team in one room, so this was probably for the best.

Atsumu, still a bit stunned by the whole situation, stood up and followed his teammates outside. He was still lost in thought because he couldn’t believe what just happened. Due to his occupied mind, he walked out of the gym without looking where he was going. He knew these halls by heart und his feet knew where to take him. He didn’t have to look, or it was enough to see the meter in front of him just to make sure he didn’t bump into someone. But this meter in front of him didn’t include his peripheral vision so he wasn’t able to notice the small person next to him until he saw a hand waving right in front of his face. Startled, he turned towards the body attached to said hand. It was Hinata. Of course. What was he supposed to do? Maybe greet him would be a good idea but somehow, his tongue didn’t want to obey his brain. He should definitely stop staring at him. But how, damn it? Oh boy, Hinata had been talking all this time. At least his lips were moving, which most likely meant he was talking, but what the hell was he saying?

“Hey Hinata!”, Atsumu said finally, way too loud and a bit out of place considering the look on the smaller man’s face.

“Um... Hey… Atsumu-san. You weren’t listening, were you?”, Hinata said while a small teasing smile formed on his lips.

“I’m… no… I’m sorry… I spaced out a bit. You surprised me. Sometimes my mind needs some time to get back to reality”, Atsumu answered honestly, glad that at least now he was able to form a coherent sentence.

“Oh okay, that’s fine.”, came Hinata’s friendly answer immediately while his smile grew. “I’m actually kind of used to it. Tsukishima does that a lot, too. Even though sometimes I’m not sure if maybe he’s just ignoring me. But he’s still a great friend. He just doesn’t want to show it. But I wouldn’t have thought that you’re like that. So what were you thinking about that it made you space out like that?” Hinata laughed, a cute laugh.

Atsumu didn’t know how to react at first. Hinata sure talked a lot, and fast. “Well, you know… nothing special…” The setter answered while scratching the back of his neck and looking anywhere but at the man next to him.

Hinatas smile shrunk a little while saying “Oh sorry, I know it’s none of my business. Sometimes, especially when I’m really excited, my mind doesn’t filter what I’m saying out loud.”

“So you’re telling me, you actually CAN have a brain to mouth filter?” Atsumu couldn’t refrain from teasing him a little bit, especially after he had just made such a fool of himself.

Of course, Hinata was immediately offended. “Hey! That’s rude, you know! Maybe YOU don’t have a brain to mouth filter!”

“Wow, strong comeback, shrimp.” Atsumu laughed. “And just to be clear: I DO have a brain to mouth filter. I just decide to be a dick most of the time. But I guess, your body and volleyball skills are the only things of you that actually grew up since High School, huh?” Only after the words left his mouth, he realized what he had just said. And he wasn’t the only one, because Hinata didn’t look offended any longer, but developed a smile completely in contrast to his usual angelic features.

“So you looked at my body enough to notice that, huh?”, Hinata asked him while throwing him a devilish smirk.

“Yeah... I mean… No… Um… I mean… Who wouldn’t notice? You were 16 the last time I saw you, after all.” Atsumu tried to cover up his stuttered words while at the same time willed his cheeks not to blush, even though he was quite sure it wasn’t successful. But it wasn’t that bad, since Hinata wouldn’t notice anyway. He was doubling over with laughter, turning curious and amused heads of Atsumus teammates.

When Hinatas laughter faded enough for him to speak again, he said “Sorry… sorry. I was just messing with you. But you should have seen your face. Oh god… But just so you know: my body isn’t the only thing of me that grew up since High School and volleyball isn’t the only skill I have improved since then.” This last sentence was accompanied by a wink and a teasing smile.

While this small action made Atsumus face go blank in shock, his mind started yelling. 'He winked at that? He fucking winked? Seriously? What’s that supposed to mean?! Holy shit, how was he going to survive this evening? And oh fuck how was he going to survive like… everything if Hinata really joined the team?'

Even though Hinata couldn’t hear any of this, thankfully, he was doubling over with laughter once again. He wasn’t able to walk anymore and since Atsumu was still kind of shocked and busy with his inner turmoil, they fell back behind the group. It didn’t take long for Sakusa to notice this, probably because of the redheads fading laughter while everyone else continued their way to the bar. So he nudged Bokuto, touching as little of the other as possible, of course, and the two of them turned around to collect their friends. Bokuto slung an arm around Hinatas shoulder and dragged him forward while easily starting a conversation with him. Sakusa just walked past Atsumu so he could kick his ass to bring him back to reality.

This method clearly worked but left a slightly pissed off Atsumu. “Was that really necessary, Sakusa? You could have just waved or something. You’re a real pain in the ass, you know that?”

“Yes, I’m aware”, Sakusa answered in his monotone voice. “Actually, I really can be a pain in the ass, but I wouldn’t even consider being one in yours. The kick you just got is as close as it’s gonna get.”

“Oh, just shut up and come on. Everybody’s inside the bar already.”, came Atsumus annoyed reply.

Sakusa looked at him with raised eyebrows. “And whose fault is that? At least be thankful that I didn’t just leave you here looking into space like you had just seen a ghost. What happened anyway?”

“What happened?” Atsumu looked at his friend surprised, before he remembered his recent inner turmoil again. “Oooh… yeah… what happened… Hinata winked at me! While saying something suggestive. Or at least I think it was suggestive. It maybe wouldn’t have been without the wink, but he DID wink so I think it was, but then he laughed again so maybe he was just messing with me. Does he know I’m gay? I didn’t come out publicly so how could he know? Maybe he’s just like that with everyone. I don’t fucking know! Do you know? No, probably not. How could you know… or do you?”

During his rambling, Atsumu had come closer and closer to Sakusas face and was now looking at him expectantly. Sakusa backed away a little bit and just rolled his eyes. “Oh my god, you’re such a baby behind all your dickish behavior. You’re gonna have to find out for yourself. But for that, we need to finally enter this damn bar. The others are probably already wondering where we are. So come on. I need a drink or otherwise I won’t be able to bear your presence tonight.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! :)  
> The next chapter is going to be finished this week, or at least that's my plan, so if you want to know what happens in the bar or who they will meet, you won't have to wait too long :D


	3. Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time to celebrate at the bar! Sort of :D

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was finished later than I thought because I did a lot of background research and rewrote a big part of this chapter even though it had already been finished.  
> So thanks @FelineFriend for pointing it out for me in the comments :)  
> I will try to keep everything logical and coherent, but if you still notice something in conflict with the manga, please let me know.  
> This chapter starts from Hinatas POV but changes to Atsumus POV again after a while. I think I made it clear whose POV it is, at least I tried, but if you think it's confusing or something, let me know.  
> I hope you enjoy reading! :)

Shoyo was dragged into the bar by Bokutos strong arms around his shoulders. He was really happy to see his senpai again, therefore he didn’t mind very much and listened to Bokuto talking about all the things Shoyo had missed while he was in Brazil. Most of them were about Akaashi but that was not very surprising since everybody knew they were head over heels for each other. Even though Shoyo was not sure if the two of them were still the only ones who didn’t know about it or if they had finally confessed their feelings for each other.

When Shoyo focused on something else than the energetic friend by his side, his gaze met with somehow familiar golden eyes. The owner of these greeted him with a well-known grin on his face “Hey shrimp, long time no see.”

Shoyos smile changed into a pout but he didn’t really seem offended. “Hey! I’m not that small anymore! Not everyone can be as tall as you, Kuroo-san. How’s Kenma?” he asked in a much calmer voice.

“Of course, you only care about that little workaholic. Haven’t you seen him recently? He is your sponsor after all.” Kuroo answered while acting like he was deeply hurt.

The smile on the smaller one’s face faltered a bit. “No, I haven’t seen him yet, even though I got back nearly two months ago. He’s so busy all the time. I really miss him, but he said he would make time for me as soon as he can.”, he told him happily.

He was really looking forward to seeing his shy friend again. They didn't have many chances to meet while he hade been in Brazil, so he wanted to see him as soon as possible, now that he was back in Japan. Sadly, Kenma had a really busy schedule and couldn’t meet him before the tryouts. But since Kuroo was here maybe this meant that the Pro Gamer wasn’t very far either.

Kuroos attention wasn’t focused on him anymore, though. Shoyo turned around to follow his line of view and saw Miya being pushed towards them by Sakusa. Miya had a somewhat pained look on his face for a second, but it vanished as soon as it appeared so Hinata wasn’t sure if maybe he had imagined it. Maybe the teasing had been a bit too much? But Miya didn’t seem like someone who would be fazed so much by a little teasing…

Shoyo shrugged it off and didn’t think about it any further. Instead, he looked back to the tall blackhead “So, Kuroo what are you doing here, anyway? Don’t you live in Tokyo anymore? Kenma doesn’t talk that much about you… Do you still play volleyball? I bet you do! You were so good in High School!”

“Easy shrimp, one question at a time.” Kuroo answered while raising his arms in a defensive manner, but laughing nonetheless. “Yeah sure he doesn’t talk much about me… why would someone talk about their best friend…? Anyway… Bokuto invited me to celebrate after the tryouts because I have a few days off. And no I didn’t quit volleyball. At least not entirely. But since I work in an analytical chemistry lab in Tokyo, I can’t play as professionally as you guys.”

“That’s sounds so cool!” Shoyo beamed at Kuroo.

Before the redhead could continue his little interrogation, Bokuto interrupted them “You know, I love catching up with everyone, but we are here to celebrate, guys! So, Kubro, where are our drinks? I thought you already got some because you arrived earlier than us.”

“Oh cool, you made it, shrimp! Congrats! Sorry, I just got here a few minutes ago and wanted to save a table for you guys. Even though I don’t think the whole team will fit in one space…” Kuroo answered thoughtfully while looking around for a possible solution.

Shoyo looked away sheepishly “Well, I didn’t really make it. The coaches still have to decide, and the other players were really good, too. I don’t want to get my hopes up in case someone else deserves it more than me.”

“Nonsense.” Bokuto interrupted him. “You were awesome! Right, Tsumu-Tsumu?”

All eyes turned to the setter who looked a bit startled at the sudden attention “Huh? What? Yeah, sure…”

“You weren’t even listening, Tsumu-Tsumu…” Bokuto said and looked a bit confused. “Where is your cockiness? You really seem out of it today… Even more reason to drink!”

At this, the players laughed and moved to take a seat at the small table. Bokuto sat down next to Kuroo and Shoyo slid onto the bench opposite them. Before Miya could sit down, too, Sakusa roughly grabbed his arm and told them they would get some shots before he dragged the blonde towards the bar counter.

The three remaining friends looked after the pair with confusion on their faces. Even though Shoyo didn’t know Miya and Sakusa very well, he could tell there was something off. When the two arrived at the bar, Shoyo saw Sakusa talking intently to Miya who seemed rather uncomfortable.

Deciding it wasn’t any of his business and that he didn’t want to ponder on something he had absolutely no knowledge about anyway, he tried to focus on his friends who where bickering in front of him just like they had done in High School. Unfortunately, looking at Kuroo reminded him of Kenma again, but Shoyo didn’t want to be gloomy about missing his shy friend while he was supposed to be celebrating.

He didn’t want to think about Kenma any more today and even less about the important thing he wanted to talk to him about. Whatever that thing was supposed to be. What could be a better way to stop his pondering thoughts than a little alcohol? To mask his emotions, Shoyo put on his sunniest smile and laughed innocently about something Bokuto had said while he waited for Sakusa and Miya to come back with their drinks. Fortunately, his time in Brazil had taught him how to act happy when there was something bothering him, so the others didn’t notice anything about his inner conflictions.

At the bar, the mood was far from happy. At least in Atsumus head, because he still had absolutely no idea how to deal with all this. Especially since his heart had dropped at the mention of Kenma. He knew the youtuber as Kuroos best friend and also knew that the blonde was very close friends with Hinata. What he hadn’t known until now was that this bothered him and why… but he didn’t want to think about stuff like that this evening. So he locked away those confusing feelings in the back of his head and put a smirk on his face while bringing his focus back to reality just to notice Sakusa looking at him disapprovingly.

“What are you giving me that look for, Omi-kun?” he asked his friend, annoyed.

“You did it again.” Sakusa just stated bluntly. At this moment, the bartender brought them a tray with ten shots of some strong-smelling liquor. “You zoomed out again” Sakusa continued, not even acknowledging the bartenders presence, “and ignored the advice I tried to give you. But I guess you’re a lost case so just try not to make it too obvious. Oh, and pay him.” He nodded in the direction of the bartender while grabbing the tray carefully and beginning to walk towards their table.

“Ugh, you’re such a jerk, Omi-kun!” Atsumu shot back but got no response. He sighed and mumbled “Fine, whatever…” to no one in particular and handed the bartender two 10000¥ bank notes. When Atsumu began walking away, the bartender tried to protest, but the volleyball player just waved him off with a „keep the change.“ and made his way towards the table his friends currently occupied.

Sakusa was already sitting next to Hinata which only left the seat at the head of the table for Atsumu. Because the other four were looking at him expectantly, the setter grabbed one of the glasses on the small table and held it up in the air “To the returned baby crow who will soon be a black jackal!”.

The others joined in with a “To Shoyo!”, or in Kuroos case “to shrimpy”, and all of them gulped down their shots. Said redhead scrunched up his face in disgust at the strong taste but was still the first to grab the next glass.

Atsumu watched him with amusement when the smaller man also made a toast “to a new beginning!” and all of them joined in once again.

The worrying thoughts from before were securely stuffed in the furthest corner of his brain. This led to Atsumu being his usual self with smug grins and witty comments.

At least he looked like his usual self, but all this happened on autopilot while subconsciously he was aware of every movement the smiling redhead made. So after another hour of drinking, he knew that Hinata had a very low range of tolerance when it came to holding his liquor. This became even clearer when the shorter man nudged Sakusa to let him out of his corner seat on the bench and began walking away wobbly. After a few steps, he stopped abruptly and turned around to ask where the toilets were. Sakusa pointed to his right where a sign directed the way to the bathrooms.

When Hinata began walking, or rather stumbling, in said direction, Kuroo turned to Atsumu, “Hey, maybe you should go after him or he will end up walking into some wall or something. You can’t take your eyes off him anyway, right?” he said with a smirk that was soon accompanied by a wink when he added the last part.

A bit confused by this exclamation, but also concerned about Hinata, Atsumu just nodded and followed the orange blotch of hair to the bathrooms. The redhead was nearly there already when Atsumu made it just in time to prevent him from hitting his head on the door frame. “Careful, Shoyo! Here, I got you.” He assured him while steadying him by his shoulders.

“Thanks…” Hinata answered in a low voice and leaned back into Atsumus chest. Hinata didn’t even comment on the mention of his given name. He probably didn’t even notice. But even though Atsumu hadn’t been completely aware of it either, the proximity between them made him realize it in an instant. Why did he do that? He swore himself to never call someone by their first name again without their permission. After High School he had learned the hard way that it was not okay to use people’s first names when you weren’t familiar with them. Especially when they were some drunk aggressive jerk in a bar late at night…

And even though Hinata was none of those things, they still weren’t really close, so he wanted to clarify it first before using his given name. But damn did it feel good on his tongue. He wanted to say it again. Shoyo… Feel the softness on his lips… Shoyo… preferably before or after or in between said lips were busy with every part that was Hinata Shoyo.

Whoaa hold up! Where did that come from? Atsumu shook his head in an attempt to straighten his thoughts (as if there could be anything straight about him). He couldn’t think about stuff like that right now. He had to take care of a baby crow here… A very drunk baby crow. Not to mention cute… God damnit his control threatened to leave him completely…

Atsumu strengthened his grip on Hinatas shoulders while still trying to regain control over his thoughts. Hinata remained unfazed by Atsumus reaction and only turned his head to look at Atsumu and asked “What are we doing here? Weren’t we drinking with everyone else?”.

Hinata looked around, seemingly confused about what was going on.

“You wanted to go to the bathroom…” Atsumu explained. “Are you alright? Maybe you should just go home and get some rest. Where are you staying tonight?”

He was met with confused looking brown eyes “Staying…? Oh yeah, staying…” the smaller one said when realization got visible on his face. “Bokuto-san said I could crash on his couch.”

“Okay, we’ll get you there soon.” Atsumu reassured him. “Do you wanna use the bathroom first? It’s gonna take us a while to get you to the owls place.”

“Oh right, bathroom. Yeah, I’ll do that.” Hinata answered dazedly. “Just a minute…”

While Atsumu waited for Hinata to be ready, he cleared his head one more time and waved at Bokuto to get his attention and gestured him to come over. Seeing the concerned look on Atsumus face, Bokuto complied instantly.

“What’s up? Where’s Shoyo?” Bokuto asked once he was within earshot. “Is he alright?”

“Yeah... He’s fine, I think. But he should better go home and get some rest. He’s wasted. He said he’s crashing at your place, so could you get him home? I would do it myself, but I guess, you don’t have a spare key.”

“So you actually CAN act like a big brother, Atsumu-nii-chan. Who knew…” Bokuto smirked knowingly. His expression turned into a soft smile shortly after. “But who am I to blame you. He’s just such a sunshine that you can’t resist his charms. I guess this even applies to a jerk like you. But to answer your question: yeah, I can take him home. Even though we’re not in High school anymore, he’s still my kohai so I’m going to look after him.” He puffed out his chest proudly.

The last words were muffled by the opening bathroom door where a groaning Hinata stepped out with one hand holding his head.

Bokuto and Atsumu shared a quick look and silently agreed on helping the smaller man together. They positioned themselves on either side of Hinata to steady him while making their way to the exit of the bar. On their way out, they waved everyone goodbye with a quick “See ya”. While they accompanied the obviously drunk Hinata outside, they received understanding nods from their teammates as well as Kuroo.

Once outside, the trio stopped for a few seconds so Hinata had the chance to take a breath and clear his head as good as possible given the current situation. “You alright, Hinata?” Atsumu asked concerned while keeping one arm around the shorter mans waist to steady him.

Thankfully, he had finally regained control over his mind and was able to restrain himself from saying that tempting name. 'Shoyo… NOPE! Not going there again! Just focus on helping him. He’s just another drunk teammate!'

The redhead mumbled “Fine, fine… are we there yet?” as a response to the earlier question.

Bokuto and Atsumu glanced at each other once again and nodded while tightening their grip on Hinata to get him towards Bokutos apartment. After a few steps, Bokuto said in a reassuring voice “Yeah buddy, we’re almost there. You’re doing great, man.” Which was obviously a lie, they still had a few blocks ahead of them but the most important thing in that moment was to simply keep going. Otherwise they would probably never reach the apartment that night. “You told me so much about your awesome time in Brazil, but have you told Atsumu about it already?” Bokuto continued talking, just to keep Hinata distracted from the task at hand.

As it turned out, that was the best way to proceed their way as fast as possible without Hinata falling asleep between them or puking on the sidewalk. So he began to tell stories about the last two years, about beach volleyball, some people he played with, his roommate Pedro and some “Great King” he met. Even though Atsumu had no idea what he was talking about, his explanations seemed to lack some parts of the whole story due to the redheads condition, the way he talked about this great king made an uncomfortable feeling rise in Atsumus chest. He couldn’t pin it down and it was gone as fast as it had come, so he didn’t pay it any more thoughts and focused on keeping the man by his side steady.

After another twenty minutes of mumbled stories, which went from Brazil over their high school days to volleyball in general, they finally reached the apartment complex Bokuto lived in.

While Bokuto rummaged in his jeans pocket for his keys, he threw the setter an asking look and tried to shove Hinata with his shoulder towards Atsumu. The blonde understood after a few seconds of confused struggling and embraced the small redhead with both arms in order to keep him from tumbling to the ground and to give Bokuto the needed space to unlock the door more easily.

Together they got Hinata up the stairs and into Bokutos apartment. Once inside, Bokuto put a finger to his lips to signal them to be quiet and mouthed “flatmate” while rolling his eyes. With a nod of his head, Bokuto showed the way to his bedroom where they managed to lay Hinata down on the bed.

The redhead was fast asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. The other men left the room quietly and stepped into the hall to talk normally.

Both of them let out a relieved sigh. “Didn’t you want to let him crash on the couch? I doubt he’s gonna stand up from that bed very soon…” Atsumu voiced his concern.

“Yeah, that was my original intention, but given his drunken state, I think he’s gonna need as much sleep as he can get.” Bokuto answered with another sigh. “He told me, he’s planning to stay a few days so he doesn’t have to catch a train or something, but my flatmate can be such an annoying dick, I don’t want the little tangerine be woken up by that snake while he’s hungover. So I’m gonna take the couch for tonight.”

“Oh, that sucks…” Atsumu wasn’t sure how else to respond. “Well, do you need any more help?”

“Thanks, but I think I’m good. But thanks a lot for helping me drag him here. That would have been a real struggle on my own…” Bokuto answered. He looked as tired as Atsumu felt, so the blonde prepared to leave. But as he was about to wave goodbye, he blurted out “Will you text me tomorrow how he’s doing?”

The concerned look in Atsumus eyes made Bokutos features go soft and he nodded with an honest smile before he turned around and quietly closed the apartment door.

Now alone in the hall, Atsumu followed his teammates example and made his way to his own apartment. It was not very far, but still a ten-minute walk through the night. At least this gave him the opportunity to think about everything that had happened that day. The flirting or maybe not flirting, the way everyone had thrown him these stupidly annoying looks as if they knew something he didn’t… The way his mind went nuts when he called Hinata by his first name… Shoyo… What was so special about that name anyway? Shoyo… Yeah it sounds soft and it suits the little sunshine perfectly but still… Shoyo… There’s nothing special about it… Right?

What the hell was he supposed to think about that? He couldn’t actually have a crush on Hinata or something. That was just ridiculous. They didn’t even really know each other. And anyway, Atsumu wasn’t the kind of guy to act all out just because he liked someone. Right? Everyone liked Hinata. He was so bright and pure... okay maybe not as pure as it seemed at first glance considering the suggestive comment and wink that still refused to leave Atsumus mind…

Confused by his own thoughts, he shook his head in an attempt to clear his mind. Hinata was just such an outgoing and friendly person that he gave everyone the feeling of being friends as soon as they met. That must be it. Who could NOT like that sunny bundle of joy? Of course, Atsumu was happy to have met him again and of course, he wanted him to join the team and spend more time with him. He just made everybody’s day brighter. Who would not be drawn to someone like that?

While his thoughts went on in circles around Hinata (Shoyo…), Atsumu reached his apartment complex, dragged himself up the stairs and into his own flat where he fell face down on his bed without even bothering to take off his clothes. After a few minutes of lying there, his conscience got the better of him and he got up again to brush his teeth and take off his shirt as well as change into a comfortable pair of pants. He knew he would regret it the next day if he didn’t. Then he finally nuzzled into the sheets and shoved all his thoughts into the back of his mind to let sleep swallow him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!  
> Sorry to everyone who wanted to see Hinata being just as affected as Atsumu :D They will get there eventually but it's gonna take some time and some things are going to happen before that :D  
> I don't know when I will be able to post the next chapter. Online-classes of this semester are starting tomorrow so I have to at least pretend to be a good student :D


	4. Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hangoverday :D

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I made it! Even though I'm not quite satisfied with this chapter, I don't think it's gonna get much better, so here you go :D  
> Sorry for the wait. This semester started busier than expected.
> 
> Anyways, I hope you enjoy! :)

The next morning, Atsumus sleep was disturbed by something vibrating next to him. Since it stopped after two vibrations, it didn’t manage to fully wake him up, so he just grumbled and turned around. Only to be woken up once more by another vibration a few seconds after that. This time, it didn’t stop so soon, resulting in an angry Atsumu who sat up and patted around the mattress with his hand in order to grasp his phone. Why the hell didn’t he mute it before he went to sleep?

When he finally got a hold on it, he was greeted by a bunch of messages from an unknown number. Who the fuck had to write him so many messages? Wasn’t one enough?

He didn’t even bother reading them and just wanted to unlock the screen to set the phone to mute but just as he was about to lock it again, a new notification popped up. Atsumu still didn’t recognize the number but the message caught his attention and let him stop every movement.

**+81xxxxxxxx 09:37AM**

btw it’s hinata. bokuto gave me […]

Atsumu was still pissed for being woken up this early after getting home so late but the fact that Hinata was texting him made it a bit better. Okay maybe a lot better but he wasn’t going to admit that. Instead of diving into these thoughts again, he just saved the number quickly and opened the message to be able to read the whole text as well as the previous ones.

**Hinata Shoyo 09:34AM**

good morning, miya-san!

**Hinata Shoyo 09:35AM**

sorry for the trouble yesterday

**Hinata Shoyo 09:35AM**

I kinda overestimated myself a bit there…

**Hinata Shoyo 09:36AM**

anyway I’m better now so do you wanna have hangover breakfast with us?

**Hinata Shoyo 09:37AM**

btw it’s hinata. bokuto gave me your number and said I should text you

**Hinata Shoyo 09:39AM**

I hope I didn’t wake you up

**Hinata Shoyo 09:39AM**

just text me when you get up :)

Atsumu stared at his phone, expression completely blank. It was way too early to deal with that sunshine energy on a Sunday morning. How the fuck could Hinata be this energetic? The night before, he had looked like he was about to pass out for several days, so how was it possible for him to radiate so much energy? Even over text it made Atsumus head hurt.

But now he was awake, and he knew he wouldn’t be able to go back to sleep if he tried. With a deep groan he got up from his bed. He needed coffee… otherwise there was no way he could deal with that sunshine boy without being a total dick. Well… not that he wasn’t a dick all the time anyways but with Hinata he at least wanted to try not acting like one all the time.

While Atsumu waited for his coffee to be ready, the smell already made him calm down enough that he felt like he could answer the text messages normally. He shuffled back to his bedroom, where he had left his phone, and flopped down on the bed to grab it. He still couldn’t believe how a person could be this energetic in the morning. It was the same with Bokuto. Oh God… Bokuto and Hinata combined right after getting up must be hell… Atsumu felt deeply sorry for Bokutos roommate, even if he was a jerk.

With a sigh, Atsumu unlocked his phone. The screen was still showing Hinatas messages, so he began typing a response.

**09:53AM**

Yeah am up. Glad you fine. Where should I meet you guys?

He pressed send and buried his head in his pillow. Just a few minutes… his coffee needed a bit more time to steep anyway.

After what felt like the blink of an eye, his precious silence was interrupted again. This time by the doorbell. Reluctantly, Atsumu got up and dragged himself to his apartment door. When he opened it with a pissed “What?” he was met with two equally bright grins. Now he didn’t feel sorry for Bokutos roommate any longer, but instead pitied himself deeply. With a groan he turned around and made his way to the kitchen to finally get his coffee. He left the door open and asked the two men “What the hell are you doing here this early? I just texted you a few minutes ago…”

Because he had his back turned towards his friends, he couldn’t see the look of amusement the two shared. While Bokuto only laughed loudly, Hinata contained his laughter enough to ask “Didn’t you read my text? I answered you about an hour ago.”

Atsumu spun around, grabbed Hinata by his arms – dear god that man was fucking ripped – and pulled him closer to his face to say “Don’t fuck with me! I just texted you a few moments before you rang my doorbell.” While glaring down at the smaller man.

Hinata didn’t even flinch and just glared back with slightly raised eyebrows “Maybe check the time first before you start threatening people!”

Before Atsumu could reply, he felt Bokutos strong hand on his shoulder. “Why don’t you go take a shower or at least put on a shirt while I make us all a nice cup of coffee?”

Realizing what he had just done, he immediately let go of Hinata. “Sorry I didn’t mean…”

The redhead didn’t meet his eyes, staring ahead at Atsumus chest instead, and said “it’s fine…” when a faint red appeared on his cheeks. Was he blushing? Why was he blushing?

The pressure of Bokutos grip on his shoulder increased and Atsumu remembered what the other had said only a few moments ago. What the hell was wrong with his brain this morning? As if it was mushy goo or some shit.

He just mumbled “Yeah… shower…” and left the kitchen without looking at his friends.

In the shower, he used the refreshing water to clear his mind. He had to get a grip on himself! He couldn’t allow himself to act like some stupid teenager just because he met some pretty man. Even though said man was really handsome and nice and a great volleyball player and… oh boy, he was doing it again…

He shook his head one last time and turned off the water before stepping out of the shower. He quickly dried himself off and stepped out of the bathroom with a towel around his waist to get dressed in his bedroom. There he put on some comfortable sweats and a plain tank top before stepping into the kitchen again.

“Sorry for… well… being me earlier. I hate mornings.” Atsumu grumbled a quick apology to which Bokuto just chuckled.

“You don’t have to tell me, bro.” Bokuto laughed “Here, coffee. I know this works even better than a shower for you. Shoyo, you better get used to this jerk. He’s a real pain in the ass during morning practice.” He added towards the smallest of them.

Hinata just laughed. “Bokuto, it’s still not sure if I will join the team… Anyway, I don’t mind a pain in the ass in the morning.” He added in a low voice and a mischievous grin towards Atsumu.

Bokuto didn’t seem to have heard the last sentence because he was busy making breakfast, but Atsumus mouth gaped open in disbelief. How could such a sunshine drop comments like this like it was nothing and still smile like the embodiment of innocence?

To distract himself before his mind could wander to thoughts that could definitely not be described as innocent, Atsumu turned to Bokuto “What are you making there, Bokkun? Smells good.”

“Just some miso soup with rice and we also brought eggs if you want to add them.” Bokuto answered.

“Nice. Thanks for cooking, bro. But why did you guys show up here instead of meeting somewhere to get breakfast?”

Hinata just grinned at Atsumus question. “Well actually, that was our original plan. But when you didn’t answer, we decided to go grocery shopping and come to your place instead. Which was a good decision, I guess, since you fell asleep again.” The redhead laughed.

The setter just rolled his eyes without looking even slightly guilty. “Hey shortie, I helped taking care of your drunk ass last night, so I was pretty beat.” He said defensively and mumbled “it’s still a mystery to me how you can be so energetic with a hangover…”

Again, Hinata laughed out loud “I don’t get hangovers, you know… and thanks for taking care of my ass. I really appreciate it.”

There! He did it again! That teasing wink! Atsumu didn’t know what to think of that. But before he could get into his confusing thoughts again, Bokuto interrupted them. “Oi guys, cut the crap. I’m hungry. I didn’t want to get away from Daishou to have to deal with your cocky comments instead.”

“Daishou?” Atsumu turned his head to his teammate in confusion.

When Bokuto just scrunched up his eyebrows in annoyance, Hinata answered “his roommate…”

Atsumus face turned to one of understanding. “Ah, the annoying roommate. Why are you living with him when he’s such a dick?”

“He only needs a room for a few months before he can move in with his girlfriend. I thought it couldn’t be that bad and that Kuroo was exaggerating when he said he was an annoying snake but unfortunately, he was absolutely right. Well, he’ll move out next month.” He shrugged.

At the last sentence, Hinata looked up before his face turned into a thoughtful expression. “So you’re saying that you have a free room available next month?” he asked while smiling at Bokuto.

Bokuto didn’t look at him, because he was checking the rice and stirring the miso soup. “Well yeah… I’m already dreading to look for a new roommate. That’s why I haven’t started searching yet… I mean, how am I supposed to know if I can live with someone from meeting them once? Ugh, I hate that…”

Atsumu and Hinata shared a knowing smile before the blonde said “What if you already knew someone who will need a room soon. Someone you’ve known for years and has a quite similar lifestyle to your own?”

At these words, Bokuto turned around, looking at Atsumu confusedly. “That would be perfect, obviously, but where am I gonna find someone like that? Everyone I know either lives in another city or already has an apartment except for Shoyo…” His voice trailed off as realization hit him and he saw the equally amused expressions on both of his friends faces, in Hinatas case mixed with hopefulness.

Atsumu put his hand to his chin, pretending to think very hard. “Yeah… I can’t think of anybody who could fit that description either… Guess you’ll have to live all alone…” When Bokuto rolled his eyes at him, Atsumus expression turned serious. “The more important question is… where is Hinata supposed to live until that Daishou dude moves out? Assuming that the coaches will choose him for the team, of course.”

Before anyone could answer, a phone started ringing and Hinata reached into his pocket to retrieve his smartphone. “Hello? Hinata here.” He answered it quickly.

Atsumu shared a quick look with Bokuto while the shorter one listened over the phone, occasionally saying “yes” while nodding his head, even though the person on the other end of the line couldn’t see him.

After some more nodding, the smiling redhead loudly said “Thanks! Thank you so much! See you tomorrow!” and ended the call before turning his bright grin to Bokuto and Atsumu.

“Well, I think you should scratch the ‘assuming’ part because I’m in, guys! Starting tomorrow, I’m officially a Black Jackal!” Hinata told them enthusiastically.

This news put huge grins on all their faces, Bokuto screaming “Hey hey hey!” while picking Hinata up in a bone-crushing hug.

When the smallest of them was released of that tight grip, he turned to Atsumu with shining eyes “That means you can finally fulfil your promise! Toss to me! Do you have a volleyball somewhere laying around? I bet you do. We could go out right now so you can toss to me!”

This caught Atsumu completely off guard. There he had thought he could act normally around this ball of sunshine but apparently, he was wrong. So, so wrong. How could he deny this man anything at all? Especially after hearing that the other man remembered his promise, too.

“Uhm... yeah, sure. Let’s go.”

“Oi, wait!” came the loud shout from Bokuto, which made the other two men stop their movements. “Are you both stupid? First of all, we’re about to have breakfast. I love food and I’m really hungry right now, so there’s no way I’m gonna skip this. Not even for volleyball. Second, Tsumu is still injured and not allowed to play. Did you seriously forget that?”

During this little speech, both Atsumu and Hinatas smiles slowly faded away, Hinatas expression turning to concerned shock when he heard the last part. “You’re injured? What happened?” he asked the blonde worriedly.

“Oh that… right… it’s nothing serious. I just sprained my ankle a while ago and it’s still healing.” Atsumu answered sheepishly while rubbing his neck.

“Oh no! That’s too bad. I wanna hit your tosses…” Hinata said glumly.

The sad look on the smaller mans face instantly made Atsumu feel guilty, even though it wasn’t exactly his fault that he was injured. “I’m sorry, Hinata. You will, okay? Promise. You’re part of the team now!” He tried to cheer him up.

This worked in a matter of seconds to bring a bright smile back to Hinatas face. “Alright, I can wait! Since we’re teammates now, can I call you Atsumu-san? When I call you Miya-san, I always think about your brother, too. That’s kinda confusing. But only if it’s okay with you! Of course, you can call me Shoyo if you want. I was wondering why you were calling me Hinata anyway, since you never called me that in High School…” he added thoughtfully.

Atsumu wasn’t sure if he heard right. Yesterday he was yearning to call the redhead by his given name and now said redhead offered to do so without him mentioning anything? Sounded too good to be true. But given the expectant look Hinata directed at him, it most likely wasn’t only his imagination.

“Sure, I don’t mind. I just wanted to be respectful because we’re not exactly familiar with each other. Something I didn’t care about in High School...”

“You’re still a cocky little shit. Just because you don’t use peoples first names instantly doesn’t change that fact, Tsumu.” Bokuto interrupted him with a deep laugh. “And now that that’s cleared up, can we please eat? I’m starving…” the ashen-haired added, whining impatiently.

Atsumu und Hinata, no wait… Shoyo, started laughing, too. Especially with the deflated look on their owlish friend’s face.

They each took a seat at the table to enjoy their hangover breakfast, talking happily about everything and nothing until Shoyo and Bokuto left his apartment again.

After that, Atsumu felt kind of refreshed, contrary to his horrible state in the morning. Deciding that he could use the remainder of the day for something productive, he stuffed his workout clothes into a bag and went out to hit the gym for a while. Just because he had to be careful with his ankle for a little while longer didn’t mean he couldn’t train the rest of his body. He would just focus on his arms and fingers today. These were very important anyway, considering the precision he liked to have while setting and he didn’t want to loose his touch due to a little injury.

After a satisfying workout and with the early summer breeze lightly waving through his hair on his way home from the gym, he managed to finally clear his head of all the conflicting thoughts that had occupied his mind since the previous day. Nothing much had changed after all. The team got a new member, but he already knew that was going to happen before he had seen Shoyo on the court. He’s lucky that someone like him showed up to join the team because there’s no doubt about his volleyball skills. He was looking forward to play with the redhead, no matter how much Shoyo might occupy his mind. He has dealt with handsome teammates before. On the court, the only thing that mattered was how he could use his spikers and he was really excited to train with Shoyo and see how he could use his skills in addition to the other skilled players on the team.

With those thoughts in mind, he made his way home, happy to spend the rest of his day lazily on his couch, watching movies on Netflix or scrolling through his social media.

Just from time to time his thoughts wandered to the energetic sunshine again, mostly in anticipation of tossing to him. He was sure his initial astonishment was mostly because he was surprised to see Shoyo and how his skills had improved, nothing more. All these confusing thoughts and flustered behavior would disappear once he’ll get used to the bright presence of the small spiker.

At least that’s what he told himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! :)  
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I think it's not very exciting, but just a funny hangover Sunday with friends :D
> 
> quick question:  
> I'm planning on involving some smut and maybe explicit stuff in the later chapters but I'm not sure yet if I can write it.  
> I think I want to at least try it, so I wanted to ask you guys if you would rather have it as part of the story within the chapters or as separate parts or chapters in order to skip it without missing something of the plot...  
> I would appreciate some opinions on that :) 
> 
> opinions on the chapter itself are welcome, too of course :)


	5. Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some volleyball, shower thoughts and gaming.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finally finished what I had in mind for this chapter!  
> This time it's Hinatas POV again.
> 
> I hope you enjoy reading it :)

After Shoyo and Bokuto left Atsumus apartment, they went back to Bokutos place to pick up a volleyball real quick and go play for a while in a nearby park. They both had too much energy to just sit around all day and it gave Hinata the chance to practice his setting skills.

When they took a break after an hour of playing, Shoyo checked his phone for messages and saw that Kenma had tried to call him. Excited to talk to his shy friend, he immediately called him back.

A few rings later, Kenma picked up.

_“Hey Shoyo.”_

“Kenma! You called. Sorry, I was practicing with Bokuto-san. What’s up?”

_“Of course you were. Do you wanna meet up? Kuroo picked me up today and he’s already annoying the hell out of me.”_ An offended noise could be heard in the background, most likely from said annoyance.

“Wait, wait, wait. You’re here? Why didn’t you tell me? Kuroo didn’t mention anything, either.”

_“I wanted to surprise you. So, how’s dinner later? My treat.”_

“Yeah, sure, I’d love that! With Bokuto and Kuroo, too? Where do you wanna go? Everything’s fine with me.”

_“I thought, maybe we could catch up, just us two, because we haven’t seen each other for so long. Kuroo wanted to do some kind of movie night thing with Bokuto anyway. Right, Kuroo?”_ He added a bit further from the phone speaker. Some affirmative mumbling could be heard in response. _“I’m fine with anything, too. How about take-out and some drinks in my hotel room?”_

“Sure, cool. Just like old times.” Shoyo answered happily, knowing that crowded places made his friend uncomfortable. “Just tell me where I have to go and when I should be there.”

_“Great. I’ll text you the address later. Is six o’clock fine? I guess you’re not done practicing yet with all that energy of yours.”_

“Perfect. See you later, Kenma!”

_“Yeah. Bye.”_

They hung up and Shoyo picked up the volleyball again with new motivational energy. “Come on, Bokuto-san, I wanna do some spikes, too!”

“Alright, Shoyo! But don’t overdo it. You wanna save some energy for your date later, right?” He grinned while wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

“What? Date? I’m just gonna catch up with Kenma.”

“Yes. Over dinner. Alone. In his hotel room. Not even I am that dense, Shoyo. That’s a date.”

“No way. We’re just friends. And you shut up! Have you confessed to Akaashi yet?”

At this, the taller man blushed deeply and averted his gaze.

“That’s what I thought, so don’t tell me when I’m supposed to have a date. Can we just play a little longer now? I wanna take a shower before I go to see Kenma. I’m all sweaty.”

“Fine, come on.”

They continued to play for another half hour before they decided that it was enough for the day. They would be training the whole week starting Monday, so it wouldn’t hurt to let their muscles rest a bit.

When they got back to Bokutos apartment, they were greeted by a bored looking Daishou who held a bowl of cereal in his hands and walked back to his room. Not without throwing them a displeased look before shutting his door.

Bokuto just rolled his eyes since he was already used to this kind of behavior. Shoyo on the other hand stood rooted to the spot because Daishous presence instantly reminded him of his current situation and that he didn’t have a place to live. At least not until that snake moved out, which wasn’t until two weeks from then.

“Uhm… Bokuto-san? I know we kinda already talked about this earlier, but then we got distracted when the coach called, so just to be clear: Would you really like me to be your roommate? I don’t want you to feel pressured into something just because Atsumu suggested it and it would be really cool for me, but yeah, it’s your apartment and your decision, so… what do you think?”

Bokuto just looked at him with surprised owl-eyes. “What do you mean? Of course I want you to be my roommate! We’re friends and have similar schedules, so I’m sure we’ll get along. We can even go running together when we don’t have practice and I don’t even have to drag you! That’s perfect, don’t you think?”

Relieve washed over Shoyos features and he smiled happily. “Yeah I think so, too! Hm…” His smile turned into a thoughtful expression. “Do you have any ideas where I could crash until then? I guess I should get some more stuff from home and I don’t want to use up your couch so much. I don’t think Daishou would be pleased about that…”

“Yeah, you’re right... But you can definitely crash here until tomorrow and until then, we’ll figure something out, alright? We can ask around the team if someone has a place for you. Don’t worry, Shoyo. So, do you wanna take the shower first, so you can get ready for your not-date?” He changed the subject to direct another grin at the smaller man.

Shoyo just rolled his eyes in pretended annoyance before he threw his friend a cocky grin in return. “You know… you really shouldn’t take your mouth too full. You might be my senpai, but if you don’t grow a pair of balls soon and ask Akaashi out, I will. Because that man is freaking gorgeous and believe me when I say that I didn’t only pick up some new tricks in volleyball while I was in Brazil.” His grin was accompanied by a devilish glint in his eyes that made Bokuto shudder slightly.

“Alright, fine, geez. I’ll stop teasing you. Now go shower and take that stupid grin off your face.”

At those words, Shoyos usual sunny laugh returned, without a trace of the smirk that had covered his face just a few seconds earlier. “Okay I’ll be in the shower then.” While he walked towards the bathroom, he heard Bokuto mumble something that sounded like “frightening sun” or something like that but he could have misheard it.

In the shower, his thoughts wandered to the sight he had pictured earlier that day, when Atsumus chest had been practically shoved into his face. This perfectly toned body would look even tastier in the shower, with water dripping down his hair and running down between his abs towards… hold up! No, no, no, not now. He didn’t want to have to explain to Bokuto why he took so long in the shower, so he had to stop his line of thoughts right there.

Think of something else! Think of something else! Anything else! Preferably something gross and disgusting… Like the feeling of having sand in every uncomfortable place imaginable after a day of playing beach volleyball… Oh no, that wasn’t helping either, because now he remembered that one time with Oikawa at the beach where all the sand hadn’t bothered him at all…

Ugh why did he always remember stuff like that when he specifically wanted to think about literally anything unsexy that wouldn’t rile him up even more?

Huh… apparently, being annoyed also did the trick… he was able to calm down again and continued rinsing out his hair and getting rid of all the sweat from the day.

He managed to finish showering without letting himself get distracted by inappropriate thoughts again and dried himself with a towel that Bokuto had given him earlier.

When he left the bathroom, accompanied by a lot of steam drifting around his frame, Bokuto looked in his direction. “What the hell were you doing in there?” he asked and started laughing whole heartedly.

This left Shoyo a bit confused. He didn’t take that long, right? He had hurried after he finally had his thoughts in check to avoid exactly this kind of situation…

Apparently, his expression made Bokuto laugh even harder, because he needed a few seconds to collect himself enough to say “Did you open a sauna in there or something? Dude, the whole apartment is full of steam.”

At these words, Shoyo looked around. He hadn’t even realized the foggy air around him. “Oh, I guess I’m still not used to the colder weather in Japan after those years in Brazil...” He told his friend sheepishly. “Sorry about that…” he smiled shyly while averting Bokutos sharp eyes that glinted with amusement.

“Don’t worry, bro. Just remind me to always shower before you do, so there’s at least some hot water left.” Bokuto laughed again and made his way to the steam-filled bathroom. “I’ll keep the door open, so the steam can get out faster.”

Shoyo just smiled at his senpais words and walked to his bag to pick an outfit for later. He didn’t bring that many clothes since he wasn’t sure if he would be accepted into the team. Most of them were training clothes because he assumed that he would need them the most. But this also made it pretty easy to choose since he didn’t have a lot of options. He decided on his favorite jeans and a simple yellow T-shirt. He would also take a hoodie with him for later. After all, it was just Kenma who he was meeting up with, so there was no reason to dress up or something.

After getting dressed, he checked his phone to see that Kenma had already messaged him the address of his hotel. It wasn’t very far from Bokutos apartment, maybe a 10-minute walk if he took his time.

He still had some time left before he had to leave to get to the hotel, so he decided to ask Atsumu if he knew someone with a room or a big couch who could take him in for the next two weeks, until he could move in with Bokuto.

Atsumu didn’t respond right away, so Shoyo scrolled through his Instagram. After checking all the updates of his friends, he didn’t know what to do with himself anymore. He still had nearly an hour left before he was supposed to meet Kenma. He was really excited to finally meet him again in person after being apart for so long.

Deciding that he didn’t want to wait any longer, he sent Kenma a quick text, asking if he could come over earlier than planned. As expected, the affirmative answer came immediately. Most likely, Kenma had been playing some game on his phone, anyway. He also told him to wait in the lobby instead of going directly to his room and he would pick him up there.

“Hey Bokuto!” he yelled towards the still opened bathroom door while moving to put on his shoes. “I’m going to meet Kenma now. You’re here all evening with Kuroo, right?”

“Alright, Shoyo!” came the equally loud answer. “Yeah, we’ll be here watching movies. Just text me when you’re on your way. I’ll have my phone with me, so I won’t miss it. Have fun, bro!”

“Thanks, you too! Bye!” Shoyo left the apartment with a swing in his step and made it to the hotel in no time.

It was a fancy hotel, as expected from someone as successful as Kenma, but it was also a spa. The entrance area was a big open room with a lot of windows and pleasantly warm lighting. Most people were wearing casual clothing, but some were seen in sports wear or even a few bathrobes. Shoyo let his gaze wander around the lobby and spotted someone dressed in a dark, stylishly ripped skinny jeans with an oversized dark red sweater that slipped down his arm to expose one of his shoulders. His mostly black hair with blonde tips was tied back in a messy bun.

Shoyo began walking towards him. When Kenma noticed someone approaching him, he looked up from his phone and a small smile formed on his lips as he looked at a widely grinning Shoyo.

When Kenma was merely a few steps away from Shoyo, the redhead spread out his arms to take his friend into a tight hug that Kenma returned gently. They stayed like this for a few seconds until Shoyo held Kenma at arm’s length to look at him more closely. “It’s so good to see you, Kenma! You look good!”

With a faint blush on his cheeks, Kenma averted his gaze, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. “Thanks. Let’s go upstairs, alright?”

“Yeah! Go ahead!” Shoyo answered enthusiastically.

Once they entered Kenmas room, the older asked Shoyo what food he wanted to order. Since Shoyo had never been in such a fancy hotel, he was really excited to try the room service instead of ordering some random take-out food. Of course, Kenma couldn’t deny him his wish and called the room service to order a few different things that he thought Shoyo would like to try. It was a bit unfamiliar for Shoyo to see Kenma voluntarily talking to strangers, but of course the older man was used to it by now, considering his successful career.

While Kenma was still on the phone, Shoyo decided to explore the room. The furniture was simple but luxurious, consisting a huge bed, a small table with a chair and a TV that nearly covered half of the wall opposite the bed. At the far end of the room was a glass wall with the bathroom behind it, consisting of a toilet, a sink and a rain shower. The glass wall was lined with curtains on both sides to provide privacy. Furthermore there stood two suitcases at the wall that were still unpacked and several gaming consoles beneath the TV that were already connected.

He investigated the bedside table nearest to him to find a brochure with information about the different services. The closet also contained a secure storage for valuable possessions. In the bathroom were two fluffy bathrobes and several towels that were just as fluffy and soft. He also found a lot of bath amenities that looked high-quality.

He returned to the main room and flopped down on the bed, just to notice that the bedding was super soft, too.

While they waited for their food to arrive, Shoyo told Kenma about everything that happened since the last time they talked, especially about the tryouts from the day before. He also learned from Kenma that he was actually in town for a work related meeting that would be on Tuesday and because he knew Shoyo was going to be there, he decided to come a few days earlier and brought Kuroo along with him.

After half an hour of a lot of talking, most of it from Shoyo, there was a knock on the door and they heard a friendly “room service!” from outside. Shoyo immediately jumped from the bed to open the door. Their food was brought in on a rolling tray and the staff let them know they should call if they needed anything else before leaving with a slight bow.

They continued talking during dinner, tasting all the different dishes Kenma had ordered. The more the plates emptied, the quieter Kenma got. Not that he talked much to begin with, but it got even less while the minutes passed buy. Shoyo sensed some kind of tension in the air but couldn’t pin it down. So he just continued talking without giving it any more thought.

Once Shoyo cleared the last plate (Kenma had already been full for a little while and couldn’t believe that Shoyo actually managed to finish everything), the redhead let out a contented sigh and flopped down on the bed onto his back, his arms outstretched to the sides. “Wow, so good! I’m so full now but everything was just sooo delicious, I couldn’t stop! Thanks, Kenma!”

“Sure.” The gamer answered shortly. Even if such short answers weren’t unusual for Kenma, Shoyo noticed this strange tension again but still wasn’t able to figure out what it was.

“Uhm… Kenma?” Shoyo started gingerly. “You’re kinda quiet tonight… I mean… even more than normally. Is something up? Did you wanna talk about something that’s bothering you? I’m so sorry, I kept on talking and talking without letting you say that much! I’m just so excited to see you again and wanted to tell you everything that happened. But you now, I’m always here for you and always want to listen to everything you want to tell me, right?”

Kenma averted his gaze and didn’t say anything, which just confirmed Shoyos suspicions that something was wrong. So the redhead sat up in bed and crossed his legs to wait patiently for his friend until he was ready to tell him whatever it was he wanted to say.

It took the older man a minute to collect himself until he took one deep breath and quickly looked at Shoyo before fixing a point on the bedsheets. “Yeah... you’re right. I want to tell you something that I wanted to tell you in person and not over a video call or something like that. I kinda feel like you should already know this. I think it’s kinda obvious but then again, you can be stubbornly oblivious sometimes… So I figured I should just tell you. If you already knew this and just didn’t say anything because you didn’t want to hurt me, then I’m sorry, but I just have to ask you to be sure.” He took another deep breath and lifted his gaze to look Shoyo straight in the eye. “I like you. Not only as a friend, but as so much more. You are one of the most important people in my life. So yeah… I said it.”

Shoyos mouth hung open. That was the first time he had listened to Kenma talking about something this long that wasn’t related to video games. His mind was still processing what he had just heard. Kenma didn’t interrupt his train of thoughts and was just biting his lip nervously while a blush pinked his cheeks.

“You mean… you like me… romantically?” Shoyo finally managed to ask.

“Yes” came the simple answer from the black-haired. “I want to date you. Wanted to since high school, actually… But only if you want that, too of course! And if not, I hope that doesn’t change anything in our friendship. I don’t want to lose you, but I just couldn’t NOT say anything anymore…”

On the redhead’s face was a deep expression of thoughtful confusion. “But I thought… Kuroo… aren’t you dating him already? I mean, you two are very close and you seem so much more comfortable whenever he’s with you and you even share a bed.” He finished while gesturing around him to clarify his point.

When Shoyo looked back at his friend, he was met with a dumbfounded expression that practically screamed ‘What the fuck? Hell no!’

After seeing this look on Kenmas face, Shoyo scratched the back of his neck guiltily. “Guess I was wrong the entire time. I’m sorry, Kenma. I’ve never thought about you that way. You are very important to me and you won’t lose me because I wouldn’t want to lose you either, but I just don’t feel the same for you. To be honest, I haven’t felt anything romantical for anybody since Kageyama and I broke up after high school…”

“Oh, sorry…” Kenma said, clearly uncomfortable. “Well… now we both know. I never thought that Kuroo and I look like a couple. He’s my best friend, so of course we’re close…” He let out an incredulous huff.

This made Shoyo laugh against his will. “Are you serious? Have you seen how he looks at you? How he throws daggers with his eyes at anybody who tries to make a move on you? And you let him and are always close to him when you’re in public, seeking his comfort, whether you do it on purpose or subconsciously. And… Uhm… Nevermind…” He cut himself off when he saw the piercing look in Kenmas eyes that reminded him of high school when they were on opposite sides of the net. “Anyway… I’m really sorry that I can’t return your feelings… Wait! So was this actually supposed to be a date?” Without waiting for an answer he added a muttered “Damn, Bokuto was right.”

“You don’t have to be sorry.” Kenma waved him off while his eyes still avoided Shoyos gaze. “It’s not like you can control how you feel… I’m just glad I finally said it and maybe now I can try to move on… Anyway, I don’t want it to be awkward between us, okay? How about we play some Super Mario Kart?”

Shoyo agreed enthusiastically, all awkwardness from before forgotten in an instant.

Kenma turned on one of his gaming consoles connected to the large TV and picked up the matching controllers. When everything was set, they played for a while, just like old times, and returned to their usual behavior, almost as if nothing had happened. Kenma even seemed more relaxed, now that he got off his chest what he had craved to say for such a long time.

After a while, they switched to other games, Shoyo losing in every single one of them. But he didn’t mind. He knew how good Kenma was – he was a professional, after all – so he didn’t even expect to win against him. It was fun nonetheless, battling against one another and laughing together.

A few hours later, Shoyo checked his phone for the first time since he got to the hotel, noticing some messages that he barely glanced at, but most importantly the time. It was just after 10 PM and since he had his first practice as a professional volleyball player the next morning, he decided it would be the best to go now and meet up with Kenma another time before he had to leave for Tokyo again.

They said goodbye with a quick hug and Shoyo left his friend alone in his room to leave the hotel and go back to Bokutos place. Now that he thought about it… Kuroo was most likely still there and Shoyo really didn’t want to see him right now. Not after what happened earlier. He was pretty sure that Kuroo liked Kenma a lot more than a best friend. He probably even knew about Kenmas feelings for Shoyo. This led to Shoyo being immensely uncomfortable when he thought about the tall man. He had absolutely no desire to see him right now.

With a sigh, he put on his hoodie when he stepped out of the hotel in the cold evening air and took out his phone to unlock the screen. He didn’t know what he was supposed to do with it in particular, it was just a habit when he didn’t know what to do. This made him notice the received messages again. The latest one was from Atsumu, most likely about his earlier question about a place to crash. Without even bothering to open the message, Shoyo decided to just call his friend – and now teammate, he thought with a smile.

Several rings later, Atsumu picked up his phone.

_“Hina- uh Shoyo-kun? What’s up?”_

“Atsumu-san! Hey! Sorry to call you so late, but could I maybe come over? I really don’t want to go to Bokutos place right now…”

_“Huh…? What happened? Wait! That’s none of my business... Anyway, uhm… Yeah, sure. No problem. Where are you now?”_

“Great, thanks! I’m just a few blocks away. So, see you in about 10 minutes?”

_“Alright, see ya!”_

Shoyo ended the call quickly and increased his walking speed a little bit, now that he had a destination which he didn't resent to reach, but rather looked forward to seeing his friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading again!  
> I'm just gonna stop apologizing for taking my time writing because that's not going to change anyway :D  
> I'll try to keep it at a two-week-ish gap between the chapters but no promises.


	6. Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Awkward situations, thirst and brotherly teasing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys for so many hits and Kudos! The 3000 and 200 were crossed! I can't believe so many people enjoy what I write (or at least I hope the majority of the people reading this enjoys it)! This makes me really happy and I hope I won't disappoint anyone who wants to know how the story continues :)
> 
> Before anyone gets confused with the location: Hirakata is a city in Osaka prefecture, where the Panasonic Panthers are located (the team that inspired the Black Jackals). Because I couldn't find anything on the location of MSBY, I just assumed they were located in the same city as the team that worked as inspiration for them. By the way, Adlers are in Oita in this fic, like the Oita Miyoshi Weisse Adler (not that it's important yet, but maybe it will be, I don't know)

Ten minutes after the phone conversation ended, a nervous Atsumu opened the door to a guiltily smiling Shoyo.

“Thank you for having me and sorry to bother you so late.” The redhead said while bowing gratefully.

Atsumu quickly waved him off. “It’s no bother at all! Come in.” he reassured his friend quickly.

Shoyo stepped into the apartment and took off his shoes while Atsumu closed the door behind him. After standing there for a few seconds of awkward silence, the blonde willed himself to stop staring at the younger man and motioned to follow him to the couch.

“So… uhm… do you wanna drink anything? Water? Juice? Tea? Beer?”

“No thanks, I’m good”

They both sat down on the couch together since there wasn’t any other option in the living room. Shoyo looked around nervously, like he didn’t know what to do with himself.

Atsumu broke the silence when he couldn’t handle the nervous tension anymore. “Uhm… did you get my message from earlier?” Without waiting for an answer, he continued “I thought about who of the team could take you in for the next two weeks and most of the older members have a family already. Omi-kun is a germaphobe and wouldn’t let someone invade his clean space for money... So with Bokuto being out of question, that only leaves me. Well, I have an extra futon to spare, if you don’t mind sleeping in the same room with me. Of course, I would also take the couch if you’re uncomfortable with that! I don’t mind! Well, if you want to live with me, that is… even if it’s only for such a short period of time...” He stopped himself before he could start ranting even more and looked at the other man gingerly.

He was met with pleasantly surprised eyes before a genuine smile spread over Shoyos face.

“I’d like that! I mean… I’d appreciate it! And I don’t mind sharing a room as long as it doesn’t bother you either. I’m just glad to have a place to stay until I can finally settle in in Bokutos apartment.”

“Okay. Good, good, that’s good. I mean, so you can start training without having to think about this. Oh, by the way. We both have to get up early tomorrow. Do you wanna stay over or go back to Bokuto’s? It’s pretty late already and you didn’t wanna go but you don’t have any of your stuff here…”

Shoyo only averted his eyes at these words, his expression turning a little sad. “I don’t know… I don’t wanna go over and have to see Kuroo. But I don’t even know if he’s still there. Honestly, I wouldn’t like to show up at my first practice with todays clothes, without my training clothes… or with your clothes and make everyone think I fooled around with a teammate before even starting practice. I don’t know what to do, Atsumu…”

Atsumu tried to ignore the implications of Shoyos words before his thoughts were able to wander to dangerous territory. Instead, he focused on helping his friend. “Well, why don’t you just text Bokuto and ask how long Kuroo’s gonna stay over and until he’ll leave, you can stay here? If you wanna talk about it, I’ll listen but we can also just have some tea or watch a movie or something.”

Once he finished talking, he realized that the other was watching him with a strange look, maybe disappointment? But before he could determine its meaning, Shoyo looked away and pulled out his phone. “That’s a good idea. Why didn’t I think of that sooner? I guess I can’t think straight after what Kenma told me.” He tapped something on his phone before laying it on the couch next to him. “Anyway. Thank you, really, for having me and for not asking questions. I haven’t even processed what happened and I don’t wanna talk about it. But it’s really nice to be here with you. If I’m being honest, I’m a little surprised how nice you are. I always thought you were just another jerk…” The redhead laughed sheepishly.

“I’m glad I can help. And well… I AM a jerk, but I also can be nice… if I want to. So don’t go around spreading that I’m a nice person! I have a reputation to uphold!” Atsumu grumbled under his breath with a little scowl on his face.

This made Shoyo laugh whole heartedly, throwing his head back with his eyes closed shut. “Okay… Alright, I’ll keep that in mind and tell everyone you’re just an arrogant asshole.”

“Thank you very much, Shoyo-kun.” Atsumu answered with a pleased little smile on his lips, taking in the sight in front of him that was a carefree laughing Hinata Shoyo. He was happy he could help him get rid of the thoughtful sadness that had occupied the youngers face earlier, even if it was just for a little while.

Before either of them could say anything else, their little joyful moment was interrupted by Shoyos phone vibrating on the couch, startling them both.

“Oh, that’s Bokuto-san.” Shoyo said while glancing at the screen before he picked up his phone to read the message. “He says Kuroo will leave in a few minutes, so I can come over now. He didn’t even ask what’s going on. Probably already heard everything from Kuroo anyway…” His face turned thoughtful again, the happy moment over.

Shoyo looked back at Atsumu, wearing a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “Well, I won’t bother you any longer and get going then.” He said and stood up from the couch to leave. “Thanks again, for being here for me and for letting me stay for the next weeks. I think I’ll get my stuff from Bokuto tomorrow after practice and bring it over then, if that’s alright with you. I’ll have to go home to get all the rest of my stuff before I can move into the apartment… not that I have that much after living abroad for years…” He trailed off, mumbling, while putting a finger on his lip thoughtfully. _‘So cute’_ Atsumu couldn’t stop himself thinking.

“Yeah sure, no problem.” Atsumu interrupted the shorter mans muttered words, distracting himself from thinking about the cute gesture in the process. “Let me know if I can help you with anything.” He followed the redhead to the door while Shoyo put on his shoes.

He received a genuine smile in return, even if it still didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Thanks. Again. Well then, I’ll leave now so you can go to sleep. See you tomorrow, Atsumu-san!” Shoyo opened the door and walked outside with a wave over his shoulder.

“Yeah, see ya.” He listened to Shoyos footsteps on the stairs until the sound faded into the night.

When he closed the door, he stood there for a few more seconds before he went back into the apartment again. Even though he felt like his thoughts were in check now, he dreaded the day he was allowed to play again, wondering if Shoyos presence would affect his skills during practice or even worse, during a game.

Without thinking about it any further, Atsumu got ready to go to bed and even managed to fall asleep pretty fast. His last thought being about a certain redhead, wondering if he got back to Bokuto’s okay and was able to fall asleep with whatever was on his mind.

__________

The next day, Shoyo was introduced to the whole team as their new member. Nobody seemed surprised and the cheerful sunshine was welcomed into the team without any complaints. He was just too likeable with his bright sunny smile, all the sadness from the evening before seemingly forgotten.

Atsumu still had to stay on the sidelines because of his ankle. It really pissed him off that he couldn’t play but he knew he had to give his body time to recover, so he could give his best once it was healed.

This gave him the opportunity to watch all his teammates closely and study their movements from a different angle. He especially observed Shoyos motions on the court since he had never played with him before. His bright hair made it hard to focus on anything else anyway. He was a perfect decoy, indeed. Atsumus fingers were practically itching to set to the small spiker and it was testing his patience to the fullest to stand on the sidelines, watching him play. He only managed because he told himself he could use the information from observing precisely once he was allowed on the court again.

After a successful day of practice, everyone was exhausted, but in a good mood. Atsumu accompanied Shoyo and Bokuto to the latter's apartment to collect the former's stuff. He only had a Backpack and a sports bag, so it was easy for the two of them to carry all of Shoyos things. When they had walked for two minutes, Atsumu heard a loud “Gwaaaaaah!” from beside him before a jumping Shoyo invaded his vision. The smaller man insisted on carrying both bags because he just remembered that Atsumu was injured. Of course, Atsumu wanted to object but the stubbornness of the redhead didn’t allow any contradiction when it came to his friend’s safety.

They (read: Shoyo, while Atsumu opened every door for him) dropped it off in Atsumus small bedroom which they were going to share for the next two weeks and decided to order take out and watch some TV, since they were both drained from practice, mentally and in Shoyos case also physically.

It was a comfortable evening, with a lot of laughter and chatting about the shows they were watching on TV.

At half past ten, they called it a night and prepared to go to bed. It was a bit awkward at first, laying beside each other with less than a meter space between them, the futons barely touching in the middle. Shoyo didn’t seem to feel any of this and fell asleep after a couple of minutes. Atsumu couldn’t calm down so easily. The silence of the room, combined with the soft snoring coming from his right side made him aware of their proximity.

At this moment, the affectionate feelings returned. During the day he had been so sure that they were gone, only caused by the unexpected encounter. But while he laid in bed, his mind drifted towards the cute spiker who currently played starfish on the futon next to him. He had been amazing during practice. Finding his own way to play with each member, accommodating to everything exceptionally fast. It was kind of scary, actually. That was probably because of the long time playing beach volleyball where he had to get used to different players in a short period of time. Nonetheless, really impressive.

Not to forget his own skill as a single player. Seeing his jumps would never get boring. The way he pushed himself off the ground, his leg muscles tensing before he soared through the air, practically flying. Those thighs shouldn’t be allowed… Like seriously… Atsumu had seen a lot of nice thighs in his life as a volleyball player. He still remembered those of Karasunos captain when their teams first met. He couldn’t remember his name and even his face was a bit blurry in Atsumus mind, but those thighs wouldn’t be gone from his memories very soon. Now that he thought about it… Kuroo wasn’t bad either. Even though his character made him less attractive in Atsumus eyes. But since the bedhead often wore very tight skinny jeans, Atsumu couldn’t deny that he had very trained legs.

The more he thought about it, the more he was sure that Shoyos body wouldn’t be a distraction once Atsumu was allowed back on court again. He was used to hot muscular guys. He could handle one more.

The restless setter rolled to the side and glanced at his phone. 11:52 PM. He seriously spent an hour fantasizing about hot guys and their leg muscles…

With a sigh, he got into a comfortable position (half hugging his pillow) and closed his eyes, trying to calm his tired mind.

This time, he didn’t have trouble falling asleep.

In the morning, Atsumu woke up to something tickling his nose. He tried to shake off the feeling by nuzzling into the source, assuming it was his pillow. Only for his nose to pick up a summery scent. Was that a thing? Could something smell summery? He didn’t care. This was the only fitting word his (still mostly asleep) mind provided.

In his dazed state, he pulled the summery smelling thing closer to his chest. It was most likely his pillow, he liked hugging his pillow while he slept.

But… weren’t pillows normally more… squishy? And soft? And not like… solid? And somehow… muscular? Pillows weren’t supposed to move either!

His mind started to panic slightly and before his body was even able to react, he heard a sleepy groan coming from the definitely-not-pillow-like thing.

Atsumu opened his eyes and was met with orange unruly fluff. His memories, which suddenly rushed through his now clear mind, provided him with the only logical solution and he was just about to pull away when Shoyo turned around in his arms and cuddled into his bare chest. One of his arms found its way to Atsumus waist, the other resting between their bodies, hand curled under Shoyos chin. The spiker seemed so small and peaceful in this position, Atsumu didn’t dare to move.

Unfortunately, they were both startled by the alarm that started to ring beside them a few seconds later. In his shock, Atsumus grip tightened on Shoyos head and the small of his back, pulling him even closer to his chest.

When he heard muffled words coming from the fluffy head under his chin, he loosened his grip on the smaller man and pulled away hastily. “Sorry, Shoyo. What did you say? I didn’t get that.”

“Just said... couldn’t breathe… Fine now… Tired…” Shoyo offered a few mumbled words as an answer without even opening his eyes. Before Atsumu could take the chance to stand up, callused hands found his body to pull him close once again.

With a sigh, Atsumu reached to the side to turn off the alarm. He gently nudged the muscular shoulder in front of his chest. “Uhm… Shoyo-kun… Wake up. We have to get up. Practice starts in an hour…”

The word practice seemed to stir something in Shoyos mind because he started to move and lift his head. When his eyes finally opened, they widened in shock once they focused on Atsumus gentle face.

“Atsumu-san! Why… How… What… Huh? I’m sorry. Did I…? Did we…? What?” Shoyo stuttered out words of confusion.

Atsumu put up his hands reassuringly. “I just woke up like this. I guess we got closer while we slept and started cuddling…”

This calmed Shoyo visibly down. “Oh… Okay… Sorry. I guess my fear of being alone isn’t completely gone after all…” he trailed off while his eyes turned down towards the futon.

Atsumu was confused for a second but didn’t want to push the subject. “Well, you’re not alone.” he told him with a small smile. “If it makes you sleep better, I don’t mind. I was just a little surprised to wake up with someone in my arms…”

“Thanks…” Shoyo looked up at him through his eyelashes before his gaze sharpened a bit. “Wait, you were already awake before the alarm went off? Why didn’t you wake me up?”

Atsumu waved his hands defensively. “I… I wanted to! But then you cuddled even closer and you looked so peaceful… It was kinda cute actually…” His voice got more and more quiet but Shoyo still caught every word, resulting in pink heat filling his cheeks.

When the blonde realized what he just said, his head snapped up, his cheeks heating up to match Shoyos. “You know… It was just a few minutes ago and I was still sleepy! And then the alarm already went off, so it’s not like I had a lot of time to react or anything!”

They looked at each other and when they saw the look on the others face, both started laughing awkwardly. Shoyo was the first to speak again “Uhm… So… We’re good, right?”

Atsumus eyes widened in surprise. “Of course we are. Let’s just agree not to tell anyone on the team? You know… jerk reputation…”

Shoyo let out another laugh. “Yeah, sure. Your secret’s safe with me.” The teasing smile didn’t leave his lips. “So, how about we get ready for practice?”

“Right… Practice. I’ll go make coffee. You want some?” Atsumu asked as he stood up.

“Sure.” Came Shoyos answer when Atsumu already made his way to the kitchen.

While the taller man walked out of the bedroom, he didn’t notice brown eyes following the curve of his back and a small tongue licking pink lips while the brown gaze lingered on his wide shoulders.

__________

The following days continued like this. They went to practice, chatted with their teammates and had a peaceful evening. When they woke up cuddling with each other, they only smiled sheepishly before getting ready for the day without losing a word about it.

Shoyo met up with Kenma again before he left for Tokyo, but otherwise they spent most of their time together. The sexual suggestions still occurred sometimes but it wasn’t as intense as it had been at the beginning and they were more friendly teasing than anything else, so Atsumu figured that was just how Shoyo interacted with his friends and was able to handle it without getting too flustered.

Thursday was the first day Atsumu started to practice with the team again. He was only allowed to make normal sets without too many unpredictable movements to go easy on his ankle, but at least he could participate again. He also put his newfound knowledge to use from studying his teammates from outside the court.

On the weekend, they went to the gym for a few hours, not overdoing it but feeling the need to do something physical with their bodies. In Shoyos case, that was just the way he was, always in motion. Atsumu, on the other hand, needed the workout to distract him from the possibilities how he could use his body energy for different activities. Activities that involved a partner... This was especially necessary since a certain handsome cute redhead was by his side the whole time.

Besides working out, they enjoyed the weekend lazing around in the park or on Atsumus couch, occasionally watching movies together.

As the days went by, they got more and more comfortable with each other.

Friday, the first of June, Shoyo left immediately after practice. He had rented a car for the weekend to go home and get all of his other things. Bokuto would be accompanying him since it took eleven hours to drive from Hirakata to Miyagi, so they could take turns driving during the trip. They also wanted to stop in Tokyo the first night to meet their friends before continuing to Miyagi on Saturday and driving back to Hirakata on Sunday to be able to attend practice on Monday. Even if the coaches had given them permission to skip practice for a day or two if necessary (They were glad that Bokuto wanted to accompany Shoyo because of the long drive), the two balls of energy were determined to make it all in one weekend without missing any practice.

With Shoyo gone, Atsumu thought he could relax in his apartment again. But instead of enjoying his time alone, he was bored and missed the joyful atmosphere the redhead had provided with his presence. To distract himself, he decided to call his brother and annoy him – one of his favorite activities apart from volleyball.

The phone rang such a long time, Atsumu already wanted to hang up when it finally clicked and he heard people chatting in the background.

_“Tsumu, what’s up?”_

“Hey Samu, are you working? Sounds busy.”

_“No, I’m just outside and apparently when you go outside, there are other people around you. Maybe you should try that too_.” The other twin answered bluntly.

“Very funny. I DO go outside, you know. Just not right now. Anyway, what’s up? Anything new?”

_“Aah, so you’re bored. Don’t you have any friends you can bother?”_

Atsumu let out an offended squeak (that he would deny if anyone ever asked if he was capable of making such a sound) “’Course I have friends! Can’t I just ask my brother about his life? If ya don’t wanna talk, just say it and I’ll hang up.” His accent slightly started to show because of his annoyance combined with the fact that talking to his brother always gave him a feeling of home.

_“Fine, fine, don’t throw a hissy fit, geez. So, what do you wanna talk about? How did tryouts go? Weren’t they last week?”_

Atsumu let out an annoyed huff at the first part but decided to let it slide because he knew, talking back would only give Osamu the satisfaction of being right. “No, they were two weeks ago. There were some pretty decent players but the whole team agreed that only one of them was an option and after some discussion, the coaches agreed. Do you remember Hinata Shoyo? From Nationals in High School?”

A thoughtful hum could be heard before his twin asked _“You mean that bouncy little orange-haired kid from Karasuno? With the freak quick attack?”_

“Yeah, him! He went to Brazil after High School to play beach volleyball and just came back to Japan and is now starting as a pro. But don’t tell anyone. It’s not officially out yet, even though he already started practicing with us.”

_“Huh, who would’ve thought… How was practicing with him so far? Didn’t you even tell him you’d toss to him someday? You know… after our first match?”_

“Yeah, I did. Even though I only remembered when I saw him at the tryouts. He’s an amazing player! He’s grown so much! You’ll see when you watch one of our games.”

_“Oh, so you mean he isn’t the small little bouncy ball anymore? When you say, he’s grown a lot…”_ The smirk on Osamus face was obvious even through the phone speaker.

“Haha… very funny, Samu. You know what I meant. I mean… okay, he DID grow a bit but he’s still rather small. But I was talking about his volleyball skills. His jumps are even crazier than in High school and he can receive as good as a libero, but his spikes are so powerful and he can even set!”

_“Ah… I see… You like him.”_ It wasn’t even a question. Osamu just said it as if he was stating a fact.

“What? No! I mean… Yeah sure he’s super cool but I don’t like him like THAT, you know. I mean… he is a very kind person and nobody with functioning eyes can deny that he’s pretty handsome but he’s also my teammate. Even though he was reeeeeally cute when he cuddled into my chest in the morning…” his voice got a dreamy note as his mind drifted off to the times he had found the redhead curled up in his arms after waking up.

_“Wait, wait, wait! Hold up for a sec! YOU SLEPT WITH HIM?!”_

“Huh? What? NO! What makes you think that? I wouldn’t fuck a teammate! You know that!”

_“We’re still talking about you, right? Miya Atsumu? My twin brother? Confirmed jerk who bangs everything that’s not running away fast enough?”_

“Hey! Rude! That was just a phase! I’m not like that anymore! And I’m pretty sure, Shoyo would be fast enough if he wanted to run away from me…”

_“Oh, so it’s Shoyo now… I see…”_ Atsumu could hear the smirk growing on his brothers face, which made him let out an annoyed groan. _“Well… if you didn’t sleep with him… and he miraculously didn’t want to run away from you… how come he ended up in your bed?”_

The older twin let out a defeated sigh. He just couldn’t keep his mouth shut when he talked to his brother, could he? “He needed a place to stay before moving in with Bokuto once his dick of a roommate moves out. So Shoyo stayed at my place during the last two weeks. You know, I have a spare futon, so it’s not exactly like he was in MY bed...”

_“Riiiiight. Let’s just pretend I believe what you’re saying, shall we? And tell me when you accepted the fact that you like him, alright? Anyway, I’m good too by the way, thanks for asking.”_

“You’re so… can you not… Ugh… Yeah, alright. How’s the shop going?” Atsumu gave in after a few seconds of inner battle, knowing that his brother could be just as stubborn as himself if he wanted to.

_“Good, good. I tried a new recipe a few days ago. So far, people seem to like it.”_

They talked about everything they missed in each other’s lives since the last time they talked. It lifted Atsumus spirit and even motivated him to go for a run. He didn’t like to admit it, but he really liked talking to his brother, even if they bickered a lot and made fun of each other as soon as they saw an opportunity.

The rest of the weekend wasn’t very eventful. He watched a lot of TV, got updated on the social media pages he followed and finally released some stress, now that Shoyo wasn’t around anymore. He thought a lot about jumping legs with tensing muscles because he just couldn’t get enough of this kind of athletic flesh. And if his mind also drifted to orange hair and a bright smile that turned into a lustful grin, he was sure it was just a coincidence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're wondering why I mentioned specific body parts that go through their minds:  
> I decided that Atsumu is weak for leg muscles, especially thighs (who can blame him) and Shoyo has a thing for broad muscular shoulders/backs.  
> Also: This plays in 2018 (like the manga), I looked up the dates for every mentioned day. Tryouts were on 19th May.  
> If you're wondering why Osamu was called two weeks into the fic and not sooner: I like to believe they are the kind of siblings that don't talk on a daily basis but rather once in a while to catch up. They're not that close because of their differences but if one of them needs the other, they are there for each other.  
> If anything is confusing because I forgot to mention something specific or didn't clarify it enough, please tell me in the comments. I have a lot of notes for this fic in order to keep it logical and don't mix things and just make it easier for myself to write but it could be possible that I forget to mention something that is logical in my mind, if you know what I mean :D  
> Sorry for the long notes in this chapter, I'm just not sure if some things might be confusing since you don't know what's going through my mind while I write :D  
> Anyway, I hope you enjoyed reading this! Thank you all for your support! :)


	7. Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trip home to get Shoyos stuff, getting used to the team and our Sunshine's birthday!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back with the next chapter! Finally...  
> I wish I could have posted this on Hinatas birthday but it wasn't even nearly ready back then, so here you go with a little late birthday story.

The drive to Tokyo took Shoyo and Bokuto longer than it normally would because of the Friday evening traffic. But eventually they got to Kenmas house around midnight. They didn't mind though, because they had a lot of fun during the journey, singing offkey to the newest K-pop songs and playing road games when they were stuck on the highway. It wasn't a bother to their friend either, because he was still up playing a new game when they rang his doorbell.

Once they settled down on the couch, both volleyball players got tired in five minutes and quickly decided to call it a night, so they would get enough rest for the upcoming day.

In the morning the three of them met up with Kuroo and Akaashi for breakfast. Shoyo was still a bit uncomfortable around Kuroo, but his mood lifted when he saw the way Kenma looked at the bedhead. Maybe it hadn't been so bad that he let his suspicion about Kuroos crush on the blonde slip after the confession. Shoyo was glad to see his friends happy, or at least on the way to happiness. He doubted that either of them would make a move so soon. Kenma still seemed a bit conflicted about his feelings and Kuroos eyes were so full of fondness that he would probably wait an eternity for Kenma to be ready to return his love.

On the other side of the table, Bokuto was practically making heart-eyes at Akaashi the whole time while the former setter tried to hide his blushing cheeks whenever Bokuto complimented him (which was at least once every five minutes). They were so obvious about their affection for one another that Shoyo had to roll his eyes several times at their obliviousness. He even dropped a few suggestive comments towards Akaashi to get Bokuto to finally step up his game. It actually worked though, because before they all parted ways, Shoyo saw Bokuto giving Akaashi a quick kiss on the cheek, which let a beautiful smile light up Akaashis face. Shoyo had to drag Bokuto away because his owlish brain seemed to have stopped working after that.

Before they knew it, they were on the road again. Shoyo took the wheel first to give his friend time to process what had just happened. Bokuto didn't stop talking about Akaashi for an hour. How perfect he was and how he couldn't believe his luck. Ten minutes after they got into the car, Bokuto had received a text from Akaashi, asking him out on a date as soon as one of them could visit the other. Of course he accepted right away, promising to video call him as soon as they finished moving Shoyos stuff into the apartment.

When Bokuto finally ran out of words about Akaashi, he looked out of the window dreamily, a content smile never leaving his face.

Shoyo was really happy for his senpai. He deserved the world, as did Akaashi, and they had waited way too long to get it. But even though he smiled about their happiness, Shoyo couldn't fight the rising feeling of jealousy in his chest. He wanted something like that, too. Ever since breaking up with Kageyama before going to Brazil, he hadn't been able to open up to someone. He was too afraid of losing a loved one again. Over the past years he had slept with a lot of people, both men and women, trying to feel something, anything. But in the end it had always been just a meaningless distraction. Even now, he still wasn't ready to get into a relationship.

When Shoyo had decided to apply for the Black Jackals, he wanted to have a fresh start. Without sleeping around, only focusing on volleyball.

He was deep in thought for a long time and didn't notice that Bokuto had started to watch him, concern evident on his face. Only when the gray-haired man addressed him with his full name repeatedly, he finally snapped out of it.

"Yes, Bokuto? Sorry, what were you saying?"

"I was just asking if you wanted to swap drivers soon. We've been on the road for two hours already." Bokuto didn't add that he was concerned about his friend being so deep in thought because he figured this would only offend the little redhead.

"Really? It's been this long already? I didn't notice… Yeah, we can swap soon." Shoyos voice still sounded like his mind wasn't fully there yet. Ten minutes later, they got to the next pull-in where they could swap places, Shoyo now eating an apple in the passenger seat.

To lift the mood, Bokuto asked Shoyo about his family that they were about to see soon. This did the trick and Shoyo started to talk happily about his family, recounting some funny stories about his little sister. The rest of their ride went by pretty quickly while they talked about happy memories and laughed about silly stories.

Another two and a half hours later, they arrived at the Hinata household, greeted by an excitedly jumping blotch of orange hair. "Onii-chan!" came Natsus yell while Shoyo was tackled by his little sister. Well, as much as a little girl not even half his weight could tackle him. He immediately scooped her up into his arms and swung her around happily. "Natsu-chan! It's so good to see you! I missed you!" Shoyo nuzzled his grinning face in his sisters hair before putting her down.

"I missed you, too! Onii-chan, who's that man?" she asked suspiciously and continued in a whisper "he looks like a big human owl…" These words made Shoyo cackle loudly. "You're not wrong about that, Natsu-chan." Shoyo answered her with a smile "That's Bokuto-san. I've known him since High School and now we're team mates and soon we'll be flatmates, too. He offered to help me with all of my stuff. He's a very good friend, so be nice to him, okay?"

Natsu eyed Bokuto hesitantly for a few seconds, contemplating if she should trust him. In the end, curiosity got the better of her. "Bokuto-san? Can you lift me up on your shoulders? You're taller than Onii-chan and I want to be tall! You also look a lot more muscly than Onii-chan…" the little girl added, one finger tipping her nose in thought while comparingly eyeing both men in front of her.

Shoyo let out an offended "HEY!" (even though he knew it was true, of course), while Bokuto only laughed whole heartedly. "Sure, Natsu-chan! How could I deny such an adorable young lady?" Bokuto squatted down to invite Natsu to climb up his back, his hands raised to support her. The little girl only giggled and excitedly ran towards him, climbing his back without getting discouraged by failing at the first attempts.

"Oh yeah, sure, just ignore your big brother who you probably WON'T SEE FOR THE NEXT MONTHS!" Shoyo said sulkily. It didn't take long for his features to soft with fondness and he walked towards the front door of the house to greet his parents, throwing a "be careful!" over his shoulder. He knew Bokuto would never let anything happen to Natsu, so he wasn't worried about leaving them alone.

Inside the house, he gave his mother a soft hug and a kiss on the cheek before enveloping his father in a bone crushing hug which made the older man laugh once his lungs were free to breathe again.

"Hey mum, hey dad! It's good to be home again! I'll miss this…" he looked around with a nostalgic smile on his lips.

His mother only laughed warmly. "You haven't lived here since you went to Brazil, so it shouldn't be that bad. And you can always come to visit us, you know that." Despite her reassuring words there was a sad glint in her eyes at the prospect of seeing her adult son living his own adult life.

"I know, I know" Shoyo waved her off. "It's just… different… I guess. When I moved to Brazil, I knew it was temporary and thought I would come back here… But now, I'm moving out to be somewhere else for an unknown amount of time. It's just a big step for me I guess. But I'm really excited for this new chapter of my life! And I want to get everything done as soon as possible so I don't have to worry about it any longer and we can spend the rest of our time here together! Oh wait, not all because I promised Hitoka, Tadashi and Kei to meet them while I'm here. Anyway, I'll be upstairs and start packing my things, okay? Just send Bokuto after me when he's done playing with Natsu. Thanks! Love you!" and without waiting for an answer, he left his parents in the hallway to run up the stairs to his old room, taking three steps at a time.

His parents were used to this kind of behavior, obviously, because they had raised this energetic child - now man. So they just chuckled at their sons happy rambling before going outside to greet their guest.

Upstairs, Shoyo stood in his room, thinking about the smartest way to pack up his stuff. His parents had already put out some boxes for him. After a few minutes of contemplating different options, Shoyo just shrugged and started to put everything in the boxes without any system at all. It wasn't like there was so much stuff that he had to organize it precisely and he would have to reorganize everything anyway once he'd settle into his new room. Another ten minutes later, Bokuto joined him and they worked together, sharing memories connected to all the items they stumbled upon in Shoyos room.

Shoyo had to stop Bokuto when he reached under the bed to retrieve some boxes that were stuffed away there, fighting down a rising blush on his cheeks. He didn't want his senpai to find his box with various sex toys, even if he knew that Bokuto would never judge him for something like that. To avoid further emberassment, he quickly snatched the box from Bokutos arms and put it at the bottom of one of the bigger boxes. Bokuto just grinned teasingly at his kohai but didn't comment on it.

They finished packing faster than anticipated and carried everything into the car. The furniture would stay, so the room could serve as a guest room.

Since it was only late afternoon, they used their time before dinner to relax and play games with Natsu while their parents prepared the meal. Shoyo was very happy to spend some time with his family and savored every second of it.

After a joyful dinner, the two friends left to meet up with Hitoka, Tadashi and Kei. It was a bit sad that Tobio couldn't be with them, but Shoyo was kind of glad that he wasn't. He didn't know how he was supposed to react to seeing his ex-boyfriend again after all these years. Of course it was inevitable. The would definitely meet eventually, given the fact that they both played in the V-League now.

None of them mentioned the missing part of their High School friends group and they just enjoyed the evening in this familiar company.

Before midnight, Shoyo and Bokuto went back to the Hinata household to get enough sleep before the long ride back to Hirakata.

They both fell asleep rather quickly, exhausted from the day.

In the morning, they enjoyed a nice breakfast with Shoyos family before beginning their journey to Hirakata. Both men enjoyed their time together, but they were glad when they finally opened their - _their, not Bokutos_ \- apartment door. The boxes were carried in without further ado before they hit the cushions. Shoyo took the couch again because he still had to go shopping for furniture.

_______________

For the next few weeks, Shoyo fully indulged himself in practice. After completely moving in with Bokuto, including a shopping trip to the next furniture shop, he didn't have to worry about anything besides volleyball anymore.

He quickly fell into a rhythm with his new flatmate - getting up early, having breakfast together and heading towards the gym for practice as one of the first team members to arrive. Afterwards they would either eat with other team members or just have a nice evening in their flat, watching a movie or playing cards.

With every passing day, Shoyo got along better with all of his team mates, understanding each individual personality more and more. He got along with everyone rather fine, but outside of practice, he mostly found himself in the company of Bokuto, Atsumu and Sakusa, sometimes joined by Inunaki, since they were all roughly around the same age.

Three weeks after his trip home, it was his birthday. Since it was on a Thursday that year, they went out to celebrate on Saturday instead. The whole team got drinks together and afterwards, the younger team members went to a club to dance - read: Shoyo, Bokuto, Atsumu and Sakusa.

They were all a little tipsy already - Atsumu more than the others because he had looked a bit deeper into his glass, even if he vehemently denied it.

Once inside the club, Shoyo made a bee line to the dance floor, Bokuto not far behind. Sakusa stayed by Atsumus side to make sure he wouldn't puke into the next corner.

Shoyo danced as if he didn't have a care in the world, just enjoying the moment. The music wasn't exactly his taste but it was catchy and had a good beat to dance to. He didn't really mind though, as long as he could enjoy himself together with his friends.

Bokuto danced just as enthusiastically as Shoyo, both men swaying their bodies to the rhythm and grinning at each other contently. After a few minutes, they were joined by Sakusa and Atsumu. The latter seemed to have calmed down, even though he was still a little pale. Sakusa started moving to the music a bit stiffly, Atsumu hesitantly, to be aware of his body's reaction.

While they danced and enjoyed the music flowing through all the bodies in the dancing crowd, Shoyo kept one eye on Atsumu. The setter tried to hide it, but Shoyo could see that he was still feeling wary because of the alcohol. Of course he was way too proud to admit it and covered it up with his signature smirk, but Shoyo wasn't fooled by that.

Atsumus face got paler the longer they were dancing, shining greenish under the club light. Shoyo was really worried and pulled the blonde down so he could talk into his ear. "Do you wanna get a drink? Maybe some water?"

An offended look grew on Atsumus face, but it quickly vanished when he looked at Shoyo and saw the honest concern on his face, his eyes gleaming with worry. Instead of denying it like he normally would, he just sighed and nodded. Shoyo wanted to follow him when he started walking towards the bar, but Atsumu shooed him back to their friends with a small smile on his lips, reassuring him that he was fine. Shoyo didn't seem fully convinced but stayed on the dance floor anyway, observing his friend from afar.

It wasn't possible to watch Atsumu every second he was at the bar. Too many moving people separated him from Shoyo, who cursed his height, or rather lack thereof. When there appeared a gap between the bodies, Shoyo saw that his team mate wasn't alone anymore. A beautiful woman was by his side, talking insistently to the tall blonde.

Atsumus body posture made it clear that he wasn't interested but the woman continued to invade his space. The fact that Atsumu didn't talk back to scare her off made Shoyo realize just how bad his condition must be. Shoyo had seen his team mate turning women down often enough to know that he didn't care about being impolite.

Not able to watch the scene any longer, Shoyo meandered his way through the crowd. When he appeared by Atsumus side, he put an arm around his waist protectively and interrupted whatever the women was saying. "Babe, what's taking you so long?"

Shoyo saw Atsumus eyes widen for a fragment of a second before he managed to hide his surprise and played along. However, he didn't even get the chance to answer Shoyos question because the woman next to them let out an offended gasp, looking at Shoyo as if he just insulted her entire family "Excuse me! I was just talking to him!"

The redhead turned towards her with a cold glare. "Oh really? And does he look like he wants to talk to you? Do yourself a favor and get the hint."

She didn't seem fazed by this statement at all, rather looking like Shoyo just presented her a challenge that she was more than ready to accept. "And who are you to talk for him instead of letting him decide what he wants?" Her eyes scanned Shoyos form in a derogative manner, a superior smile on her lips.

Shoyo returned the smile smugly, a reply already on his tongue but Atsumu beat him to it. "He's my boyfriend, so if you don't mind I would appreciate it if you could kindly fuck off." his smile was so sickeningly sweet that it practically radiated passive aggressiveness.

This left the woman speechless, her mouth opening and closing like a fish on land. The two volleyball players didn't pay her any more attention. Not even seconds after the verbal exchange, the bartender placed a glass of water in front of Atsumu which gave them an excuse to leave the bar and return to their friends.

Even though Atsumu seemed to recover a bit after downing the water, Shoyo was still worried. The paleness didn't leave his friends face and it looked like the alcohol consume wasn't the only cause. After a quick contemplation in his head, Shoyo pulled Atsumu down to his mouth once again. "Do you wanna get out of here?" in any other situation, Atsumu would have thought Shoyo was hitting on him, but the concern on his friends face made it clear that he was just looking out for the setter.

"But we're here to celebrate your birthday!" Atsumu protested after a few seconds.

A sweet smile made its way onto Shoyos lips, fondness filling his eyes. "Don't mind about that. I'm already happy that you guys came along and we can always go clubbing again whenever we feel like it. But you shouldn't stay for my sake when you're not feeling well, okay? So… you wanna leave?"

Looking around the club for a few seconds, Atsumu contemplated his words before nodding to Shoyo. The smaller man gave him a nod in return before searching for their team mates with his eyes. Before disappearing into the crowd, he quickly squeezed Atsumus arm reassuringly, motioning him to stay while he talked to their friends.

Thanks to Bokutos unmistakable hair, Shoyo found him and Sakusa pretty easily and explained the situation to them. Both understood immediately and followed Shoyo off the dance floor to where he had left Atsumu.

Once outside, they all took a deep breath of fresh air. None of them had realized it earlier but the air in the club had been nearly suffocating. They agreed that Shoyo and Bokuto would escort Atsumu to his flat. Sakusa left on his own to go home after saying goodbye.

The three of them made it to Atsumus flat without any incidents. The blonde didn't even complain about his friends "babysitting" him, he was too drained to be his usual snarky self and was secretly glad that he didn't have to walk through the night on his own.

When they reached the apartment complex, Atsumu thanked them and assured that he would make it up the stairs in one piece. Bokuto nodded and Shoyo also agreed, if only reluctantly. He made him promise to text him the next morning.

As soon as Atsumu disappeared into the building, Bokuto dragged Shoyo away so they could get home, too. They didn't talk much on the way to their flat. Both tired and deep in thought.

At their apartment they vanished into their respective rooms with a quick "night". Shoyo couldn't find sleep easily though. He was really worried about his setter. He knew him good enough by then to be sure that his pride was very distinct. He probably would never reach out for help if he was sick. Shoyo was concerned that Atsumus condition that night had not only been indebted to the alcohol but he also didn't want to impose if the blonde didn't want his help. He might have crossed some boundaries already when he'd stepped in at the bar to scare off that woman.

After tossing and turning himself around in his bed for a while, he tried to shut his thoughts away in order to finally get some sleep. It wasn't like he could do anything about it at that moment…

What felt like only seconds later, Shoyo woke up to the sun shining on his face. Hadn't it been dark only minutes ago? He checked the time and realized with a dissatisfied groan that he'd actually slept seven hours, even if it didn't feel like it. Sighing heavily, he heaved himself off the bed and shuffled into the bathroom before checking his phone for messages. There were none. Atsumu was probably still asleep. After all, it was only ten o'clock on a Sunday, after a night out.

"You look awful." Bokutos voice tore him back to reality. Shoyo hadn't even noticed that Bokuto was sitting in the kitchen already, a bowl of cereal in front of him.

"Gee, thanks. Good morning to you, too." Shoyo huffed sarcastically and shuffled to the counter to get the coffee machine going.

Bokuto blinked owlishly, not used to such a grumpy Shoyo. "Uhm... Okay… good morning? You wanna talk about it?"

"About what?" the redhead snapped, more aggressively than intended.

Bokuto shrugged his shoulders even if Shoyo couldn't see it because he was intently staring at the coffee that was pouring into his mug. "About whatever is bothering you I guess…"

"Nothing's bothering me!" Shoyo groaned defensively which only seemed to prove the opposite. "I just slept like shit, alright? Happens to everyone once in a while."

"If you say so…" Bokuto obviously didn't believe his kouhai but didn't push the matter. Instead, he only continued munching on his cereal, giving Shoyo space to regain his composure. Maybe he would approach the subject on his own if he wanted to talk about it.

After taking a first sip of his coffee - which was still hot and burned his tongue, making him wince - Shoyo prepared himself a bowl of cereal and joined Bokuto at the table. A few spoons later, the younger sighed in defeat. "Sorry… I didn't mean to snap at you like that. It's just… I don't even know… I'm worried about Atsumu-san I guess. He probably won't ask for help if he really is sick, but I also don't want to force my help on him if he doesn't want it or whatever. But… the way he looked last night… I'm pretty sure it wasn't just the alcohol…" He pushed one piece of cereal around in his bowl without actually attempting to eat something.

Bokutos mind was tossing a volleyball from one side to another, contemplating if he should say what was on his mind or not. He wasn't sure if it was his place to tell Shoyo… But on the other hand, it was just his own observation… After another few tosses, one side finally spiked the imaginary ball. "Uhm… you know… Tsumu-Tsumu… he's different when he's around you."

Shoyos head snapped up with wide eyes. "What do you mean, different?"

The older wasn't aware of the deeper meaning behind Shoyos question and just continued "Well… different. Nicer somehow I guess… not as bitchy." Bokuto averted Shoyos eyes, still unsure if he did the right thing in telling his friend what he noticed about the team setter.

Shoyo just hummed in acknowledgement but didn't know what to say, so they finished their breakfast in silence. Afterwards, Shoyo went back to his room to check his messages again. Sure enough, now he had one from his team mate in his inbox.

**Atsumu-san 10:49 AM**

Mornin Shoyo am up n fine jus so ya kno

Shoyo stared at his phone. Somehow, this message made his anger from before rise up again. And what frustrated him even more was that he didn't even know why he was angry. He restrained himself from tossing his phone across the room and decided to go on a run instead. Maybe some exercise would calm him down.

Not even five minutes later, he closed the apartment door, leaving a confused Bokuto behind.

Running made his mind go blank, just focusing on his breathing, which was exactly what he wanted. He ran and ran without paying any mind to where he was going. One and a half hours later, his endurance got to its limit and he slowed down to take in his surroundings. He realized that he had subconsciously ran in a big circle around the city. When he took a closer look to the streets and significant buildings, he suddenly became aware of his location. He was only a few hundred meters away from Atsumus apartment.

He groaned. Wasn't the setter the exact reason why he wanted to go for a run? So why did his subconsciousness bring him here? Maybe he should just talk to Atsumu. He didn't know what he needed to talk about but it would be better to figure it out now than to ignore it.

Slowing down, he approached the building, wiping the sweat off his face.

When he reached the door, his finger hovered over the bell hesitantly. Taking a deep breath, he pushed the button with determination on his face. He wouldn't avoid this any longer.

There was no answer. Shoyo rang the bell again, questioning himself. Maybe he didn't push the button hard enough?

This time, he didn't have to wait long. A creaking voice was heard from the slowly opening door. "Geez, I'm here… Who's there ringin' me outta bed so impatiently?"

"A-Atsumu-san!" Shoyo stuttered, not prepared for the unkind greeting. "I'm sorry! I didn't want to disturb you. I was just on a run and then I was in your street and thought 'hey why not say hi to Atsumu-san' and now I'm here and this was a bad idea, I'll just let you sleep. I'm sorry, see you tomorrow at practice!" he turned around to leave but was held back by a desperate "Shoyo! Wait!" coming from the setter. "Come in…" Atsumu said, his voice now way softer than before.

Shoyo turned back towards his team mate hesitantly and was immediately faced with a bare chest - why did he always have to run into him while he was shirtless? These broad shoulders were going to kill him someday…

Atsumu didn't notice the slight pink on Shoyos cheeks because he was yawning widely while stepping aside to let the smaller man into the flat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, this ending is lame and whatever... that's because it's not the end of the chapter. I was just so on a roll yesterday that I finished half of this thing and have even more planned in my mind that all belongs together. But I don't know when creativity will strike again and the chapter would be really long in the end, so I decided to split it in two, so you can at least enjoy what's finished by now.
> 
> Sorry to everyone who was looking forward to BoHina shenanigans. I didn't have any particular ideas and hate to force a specific scene when there's nothing on my mind. That's also the reason why a lot in this chapter is rather bland story telling without much detail. I wanna focus on AtsuHina more, but the things happening around the main plot are important, too. I'm just gonna cut everything else a little shorter.
> 
> I hope you still enjoyed this chapter! <3  
> Look forward to a deep conversation between our lovely protagonists.


	8. Eight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They talk about stuff. Including Shoyos backstory from High School.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, I'm back early this time. But this chapter is pretty short. It's only their conversation after Shoyo rang the bell, coming from his run.  
> The title of this fic will finally play a role, so get ready for my backstory-version of our lovely sunshine boy.  
> Btw, the POV is kinda all-knowing in this chapter. I had thoughts for both of them and didn't want to leave anything out, so yeah. Just so you know and don't get confused.  
> And now have fun reading! :)

When Shoyo entered the apartment, he took a closer look at Atsumu - not his muscled chest this time, but his face. It was even paler than the night before. "Hey uhm… Atsumu-san? I know you said you were fine, but if you need anything I'm here for you. And the team, too of course! You know that, right?"

"Sure, sure…" The other said, even though it seemed like he hadn't even heard Shoyos question. His eyes were barely open and his right hand lifted up to massage his temple.

Shoyo had to restrain himself from watching the tensing muscles while his friend was obviously not feeling well. To distract himself, Shoyo led Atsumu to his couch and gently pushed him down into the cushions. As soon as the elder was safely seated, the concerned redhead went into the kitchen to make some tea.

After preparing two mugs of tea, he joined Atsumu in the living room again. Nudging his team mates arm gently, Shoyo offered him one of the steaming mugs which Atsumu accepted with a weak smile. To keep some space between them and because he didn't want to soak the couch with his sweat, Shoyo sat down on the floor cross-legged.

"So… uhm…" Shoyo began, not sure what he was supposed to say. "Sorry for showing up like this… I was just really worried because you looked so bad last night."

Atsumu slightly raised an eyebrow at this statement, which made Shoyo realize how his words must have sounded. He quickly continued speaking to correct himself "Not that you looked bad, really! You're always handsome! I just meant _bad_ in _not healthy_ , you know?" Shoyos cheeks burned in embarrassment, hopefully not too noticeable because he just came from a run.

His embarrassment did have a good side though because a small smile formed on Atsumus lips. "Well Shoyo… it's nice that you care that much about me. And that you think I'm handsome." he added with a little smirk in the redheads direction. But it vanished quickly when he continued with a sigh. "I guess it's just a cold or something. Nothing major. I just have to rest a bit and then I'll be good as new." throwing another weak smile Shoyos way before sipping on his tea, Atsumu tried to hide the fact that he was still pale with large dark circles under his eyes.

Suddenly, Shoyos eyes widened in shock. "I totally forgot to apologize to you yesterday! That I butted in with that woman… you probably could have handled it by yourself perfectly fine." he rubbed his neck nervously.

"Oh, no no that was fine!" Atsumu reassured him quickly. "I was actually just ignoring her, hoping that she'd leave until you showed up. With you there it was much easier. So thanks." a genuine smile lit up his tired face while Shoyos red cheeks darkened a little bit. "If anyone should apologize, it's me because I called you my boyfriend just like that…" the blonde averted his gaze guiltily.

"Well then, you're welcome. And don't worry! I don't mind being called your boyfriend. Uhm… I mean… to help you out. Because that's what friends are for, right?" A nervous laugh left Shoyos lips. It was obvious that the boyfriend thing was bugging him. Before he could change his mind, Shoyo blurted out "Atsumu-san? Can I ask you something?"

"Sure, shoot." Atsumu answered without thinking, not quite sure where this was going.

Shoyo fiddled with his fingers but decided that he couldn't back out now. He took a deep breath and looked Atsumu straight in the eye "Do you like me? Like… like like…"

Taken aback, Atsumu could only gape like a fish at first. After a few seconds, he regained his composure enough to let out a dry laugh while looking at the couch. "Where's that coming from now?"

"Maybe the whole boyfriend thing got me thinking more than it should… and I heard that you act somehow different around me… so I wonder why." the younger admitted, his hands fumbling with his teacup.

These words surprised the older. "I act different around you? Who says that? And different how?" the setter replayed different scenarios in his head, trying to retrace various behaviors, without success.

"Nicer somehow? Not as dickish? How should I know, I only know the you you are around me!" Shoyo throws his arms into the air in frustration. Thankfully, after he put his mug down on the floor. "I mean… I know you throw insults at others rather fast but I just thought I didn't give you a reason to do that with me yet, you know?"

Atsumu was deep in thought after hearing those words. He had never been aware of something like this. Shoyo observed him intently, waiting patiently for the other to say something. "I think…" Atsumu finally started "I DO like you. But I'm not sure in what way. I have to admit, when I saw you during tryouts, your powerful sunshine personality kinda overwhelmed me." he let out a soft chuckle at the memory. "But I got used to it. I definitely see you as a good friend. But otherwise, we don't know each other that well yet. Not to mention the fact that we're team mates."

This honesty was something that Shoyo hadn't expected at all and it made the blush on his cheeks bloom even more. He had thought that the blonde would probably laugh it off with a dumb joke or something like that and not that he would talk so openly about his feelings.

The rosy cheeks of the redhead made Atsumu realize what _different around Shoyo_ meant. Normally, he would never openly admit such feelings so easily. Upon this realization, he continued speaking. "Okay now I get it. I guess it's just too hard to be a dick when I'm around a literal sunshine. I mean… do you even know what kind of influence you have on people? Your mere presence lights up the room and you're so nice to everyone. Why would I want to be a dick to you?"

Shoyos face got redder by the second, up until Atsumu was worried his head would explode soon. Trying to prevent this from happening, Atsumu rambled on. "Well… you know… you're always in such a good mood! It's infectious! And that's totally not bad, okay? You're kindness is so fucking genuine and pure and that just makes me want to be around you - like everyone else I guess. So yeah maybe that's why I was acting different around you… It wasn't even on purpose, you know?"

Still shook by this honest display of feelings, Shoyos mouth was gaping open, his words gone from his mind. It took him a whole minute to be able to form a coherent sentence, but Atsumu just sipped at his tea and waited for Shoyo to be ready. "Uhm… I honestly don't know what to answer to that… Can I… maybe… just… tell you a story instead? About why I'm so cautious about people changing around me?" Shoyo chose his words carefully, not sure if he was really ready to approach this subject.

Atsumu raised his eyebrows in surprised interest. "Of course, Shoyo-kun. If you want to talk about it, I'll listen." he gave him an encouraging smile.

"Thanks." Shoyo returned the smile while looking at the empty teacup in his hands. "Uhm… Let me think… I guess I should tell you something else first. I'm bisexual." He quickly glanced at Atsumu to take in his reaction. The older only nodded as a sign for him to go on. This gave Shoyo the confidence he needed. "In my third year of High School, Tobio and I started dating. We'd been dancing around each other since our first year and everyone else said it was totally obvious. So yeah, we started dating and everything was perfect at first. But then he changed. He got me presents and stuff and was just extremely sweet. Which was nice… kinda… but just not him, you know? He wasn't the guy I fell in love with anymore. In return, I got shittier towards him and before I went to Brazil, we broke up. Back then, I think we both hoped to get back together when I'm back, but now I'm not so sure about that anymore… I can't imagine being with Tobio again… I don't think I'm ready for any relationship at all…" Shoyo mumbled under his breath before raising his voice a little for Atsumu to understand him properly. "So yeah… ever since then I'm very cautious about how people act around me and I try to make them feel comfortable enough to be themselves. So when Bokuto said you're different around me, I instantly thought about this and that I don't want something like that to happen again."

Silence filled the room after Shoyo finished talking. A distant feeling of disappointment rose in Atsumus chest but he ignored it. His friend needed him more right now and he wanted to be there for him.

"Uhm… okay… first of all, Shoyo-kun: please never be afraid to tell people about your sexuality. I know there are a lot of assholes out there but if they judge you for who you're interested in instead of seeing your great personality, then that's their problem - not yours! And by the way, for the record, I'm gay. And seco-"

Before Atsumu could continue, he was interrupted by a confused, and slightly angry, Shoyo. "Wait, wait, wait. You're saying, I should tell everyone I'm bisexual while you're sitting here with your gay ass that no-one publicly knows about? Sounds a bit hypocritical to me."

The blonde was about to object when he realized that Shoyo did, in fact, have a point. "Well… I'm not saying you have to announce it to the world, of course! And it's not like I've been hiding it or anything. If a reporter ever asks me, I'll tell them. But I won't go out there and scream it around randomly. My point is, that people in your direct vicinity aren't worth it if they can't accept that about you. The media is a completely different story. They go crazy about any fact, no matter how insignificant. They only haven't caught on to my gay ass because I never really dated anyone since starting as a pro."

"Alright, sorry. I was just surprised that I never heard about you being gay. But that makes sense. Uhm.. You had a second thing to say?" the redhead gave Atsumu a sheepish smile, waiting for him to continue talking.

"Uhm… yeah. I just wanted to say that maybe… from now on, we could both just completely be ourselves around each other? I mean… we spent two weeks cuddling nearly every morning, so why should we act differently now? Not that we should start cuddling again, because obviously we don't sleep together anymore so that wouldn't make much sense. I just mean that we can be comfortable around each other and get to know each other for real, you know?"

Atsumu sounded so unsure with his nervous rambling that Shoyo couldn't hold back his laughter. This only resulted in Atsumu blushing deeply up to his ears. "Hey! Don't laugh, man! I'm still sick, remember? My brain is literally mush right now and there is no filter to what my mouth is saying!"

"Sorry, sorry!" Shoyo was still laughing but tried to contain it at least enough that he was able to talk again. "It's kinda nice to see someone else being the rambling flustered mess, you know? Anyway… yeah, that sounds good. I already consider you a good friend. So… no secrets? Or at least that we can tell each other everything we wanna talk about?"

The honest smile that accompanied Shoyos question made Atsumus heart swell and without even thinking about it, he blurted out his answer. "Yeah, sure! What else are friends for, right?" His smile felt a little stiff on his lips but Shoyo didn't seem to notice anything off about it.

"Well… then sorry for barging in like that while you're sick. I think I should go now and let you rest. Thanks for listening. It's good that I got this off my chest." Shoyo stood up and placed his empty mug on the kitchen counter. He didn't look Atsumu in the eye and he wasn't even sure why he was avoiding his gaze. He should be happy that they talked things out and that they could be better friends now… right? But since he didn't know what exactly was bugging him, it didn't make any sense to talk about it any further. He had claimed enough of Atsumus time already.

So when he turned around to look at Atsumu again, his smile was already in place. "You don't have to see me out. Just rest, okay? And get better soon. And if you need anything, don't hesitate to call or text or whatever, okay?"

Shoyos expectant gaze demanded an answer, so Atsumu nodded with a weak smile. Satisfied with that, Shoyo put on his shoes and left the flat quietly. Not without waving at his friend in goodbye.

As soon as there was a door between them, both volleyball players let out a deep sigh. Somehow they felt relieved that they talked about the situation, but at the same time, something made both of them uneasy. The redhead couldn't pin it down at all and just shrugged it off. The blonde on the other hand had his eyes blown wide after a minute of them being scrunched up in concentration.

Sadly, he knew exactly what was going on and it let him groan in frustration. Before he got up from the couch to make himself some more tea, he muttered one annoyed sentence under his breath.

"Why does Samu always have to be right?" He wasn't sure if it was a good or a bad thing that he just deepened the friendship with his favorite spiker. Emphasis on _friendship_. Oh god… what had he gotten himself into?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> He finally realized! Or accepted that it was there all along or whatever :D  
> How will he deal with the fact that he's now painfully aware of his crush on his team mate while they just kinda redefined their friendship? ;)
> 
> Edit: if you wanna know how this story goes on, feel free to kick my butt in the comments or on twitter (mini_tsuri). My exams are over already but tbh I'm just lazy because i have to get back into the story since i haven't written anything for it since July..  
> Anyway I hope you all stay safe <3


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